£21,000 after tax
Quick answer
If you earn a £21,000 salary in 2026/27, your take-home pay is £18,640 a year, or £1,553 a month. That's after £1,686 income tax and £674 National Insurance, so you keep 88.8% of your gross salary.
Take-home pay on £21,000
Take-home pay
per year · you keep
monthly
weekly
daily
How much is £21,000 after tax?
A gross salary of £21,000 in the 2026/27 tax year leaves you with a take-home pay of £18,640 a year - that's £1,553 a month, £358 a week, or about £72 per working day. The deductions are £1,686 in income tax and £674 in National Insurance, so you keep 88.8% of what you earn. These figures assume the standard tax code, no pension contributions and no student loan - add those on the full salary calculator.
Where your £21,000 goes
| Item | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £21,000 | £1,750 |
| Income Tax | − £1,686 | − £141 |
| National Insurance | − £674 | − £56 |
| Take-home pay | £18,640 | £1,553 |
How the tax on £21,000 is worked out
You get a £12,570 tax-free Personal Allowance, leaving £8,430 of taxable income. Income tax is then charged in bands:
| Band | Rate | Taxed | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | 0% | £12,570 | £0 |
| Basic rate | 20% | £8,430 | £1,686 |
| National Insurance | n/a | n/a | £674 |
On your next £100 of salary you'd keep about £72 - a marginal rate of 28%. That's useful to know before negotiating a raise or taking on overtime.
£21,000 vs nearby salaries
How your take-home changes at nearby salaries (yearly):
| Salary | Take-home / yr | Take-home / mo | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| £16,000 | £15,040 | £1,253 | 94.0% |
| £20,000 | £17,920 | £1,493 | 89.6% |
| £22,000 | £19,360 | £1,613 | 88.0% |
| £26,000 | £22,240 | £1,853 | 85.5% |
| £21,000 (this page) | £18,640 | £1,553 | 88.8% |
Estimate for the 2026/27 tax year (England, Wales & Northern Ireland), based on the standard Personal Allowance and Class 1 National Insurance. Scotland has different income tax bands - use the salary calculator and select Scotland. Source: GOV.UK official rates.
