Tax on £72,000 self-employed

Quick answer

If you're self-employed with a profit of £72,000, your total tax bill for 2026/27 is £19,118 — leaving £52,882 after Income Tax and National Insurance.

Reviewed by TaxFly Editorial Team How we calculate

Total tax & NI

£19,118

you keep £52,882 (73.4%)

Add expenses & payments on account

Profit: £72,000
Income Tax: − £16,232
Class 4 NI: − £2,697
Class 2 NI: − £190
After tax: £52,882

How much tax on £72,000 self-employed?

On a self-employment profit of £72,000, you pay £16,232 Income Tax, £2,697 Class 4 National Insurance and £190 Class 2 NI, a total of £19,118 for 2026/27. That leaves you with £52,882 — 73.4% of your profit.

Profit means your income after allowable business expenses. These figures assume no other income and the standard Personal Allowance — set those on the self-employed tax calculator.

How self-employed tax is worked out

You get a £12,570 tax-free Personal Allowance, then Income Tax on the rest. National Insurance is separate: Class 4 at 6% on profit between £12,570 and £50,270 (2% above), plus a flat Class 2 charge once profit passes the small-profits threshold. Remember to set aside money for payments on account — HMRC asks for next year's tax in advance.

Other profit levels

Tax on £20,000 Tax on £30,000 Tax on £40,000 Tax on £50,000 Tax on £60,000

Frequently asked questions

About £19,118 in total for 2026/27 — £16,232 Income Tax plus £2,886 National Insurance — leaving £52,882.

Yes — it includes Class 4 NI (£2,697) and Class 2 NI (£190) as well as Income Tax.

On profit — your income after allowable business expenses. Deducting more expenses lowers the tax.