Payslip Generator UK 2026/27
Create a professional payslip in seconds — enter the details, download or print
| Earnings | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total gross pay | £0.00 |
| Deductions | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total deductions | £0.00 |
How this payslip generator works
Enter the employer, employee, and pay details on the left. Income Tax and National Insurance are calculated automatically from the annual salary using 2026/27 HMRC rates, and the payslip preview updates instantly on the right. When it looks right, click Download / Print Payslip to save it as a PDF or print a paper copy — your browser's print dialog has a "Save as PDF" option on every device.
Worked example
An employee on a £42,000 annual salary, paid monthly, tax code 1257L, with a 3% pension contribution:
| Monthly gross pay (£42,000 ÷ 12) | £3,500.00 |
| Income tax | −£469.50 |
| National Insurance | −£196.20 |
| Pension (3%) | −£105.00 |
| Net pay | £2,729.30 |
Tax is worked out after the 3% pension is taken off (a net pay arrangement): £42,000 − £1,260 − £12,570 = £28,170 taxable a year, which gives £5,634 tax or £469.50 a month. National Insurance is charged on the full salary: (£42,000 − £12,570) × 8% = £2,354.40, or £196.20 a month. A pension scheme that uses relief at source works differently, so check with your payroll provider.
What a UK payslip must legally include
Under the Employment Rights Act, employers must give employees an itemised payslip showing:
- Gross pay before any deductions
- The amount of each deduction and what it is for (tax, National Insurance, pension, etc.)
- Net pay (take-home amount)
- If pay varies by hours worked, the number of hours paid for
This generator covers all of these fields and is suitable for record-keeping, but does not replace HMRC-recognised payroll software for RTI submission — see the FAQ below.
Related reading
Is my payslip correct? · Best payslip checker tools UK · Best CIS expense tracker
How to create a payslip
Enter the employer and employee details, the pay date, the tax code and NI category, then the annual salary and pay period. Add any overtime or bonus, a pension percentage, a student loan plan or other deductions, and the preview on the right updates as you type. When it looks right, choose Download / Print Payslip and select "Save as PDF" in your browser's print window.
What do the codes on a payslip mean?
Two codes appear on almost every UK payslip: the tax code, which sets how much of your pay is tax-free, and the National Insurance category letter. Some typical tax codes:
| Tax code | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1257L | The standard code for 2026/27: a £12,570 Personal Allowance |
| BR | All pay taxed at 20% with no allowance, usually on a second job |
| D0 | All pay taxed at 40%, usually a second job for higher earners |
| D1 | All pay taxed at 45% |
| 0T | No Personal Allowance, so the bands apply from the first pound |
| K475 | A K code adds to your taxable pay instead of giving an allowance |
| S1257L / C1257L | S means Scottish rates apply and C means Welsh rates apply |
| 1257L W1 or M1 | Emergency basis: tax is worked out for this pay period only, not cumulatively |
National Insurance category letters:
| Letter | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| A | Standard rate for most employees |
| B | Married women and widows with a reduced rate election |
| C | Employees over State Pension age, who pay no employee NI |
| H | Apprentices under 25, who pay no employee NI up to £50,270 |
| J | Deferment, because NI is paid on another job |
| M | Employees under 21 |
| Z | Employees under 21 with deferment |
This generator offers categories A, B, C and H. See HMRC's National Insurance letters for the full list.
What the calculation covers
Tax and National Insurance are worked out on a standard basis for an employee in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. The tax code you type is printed on the payslip but does not change the calculation, and Scottish rates are not applied. Use the figures as a record or a draft, and check them against your payroll software if you run a payroll.
Frequently asked questions
No. This tool creates a payslip document for your records only. If you employ staff, you are legally required to use HMRC-recognised payroll software to file Real Time Information (RTI) — a Full Payment Submission on or before each payday. This generator does not replace that requirement.
A payslip must contain certain legally required information (gross pay, itemised deductions, net pay). This generator includes all of these fields. However, the underlying PAYE tax and National Insurance still must be reported to HMRC separately via recognised payroll software — this tool only produces the payslip document itself.
Income Tax is calculated on annualised pay using the 2026/27 England, Wales and Northern Ireland bands (20% basic rate, 40% higher rate, 45% additional rate). The £12,570 Personal Allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 of income over £100,000, and the result is divided by your pay frequency. Pension is taken off before tax, and overtime or bonus is treated as part of that period's pay. Employee National Insurance follows the category you select. The tax code you enter is printed on the payslip but does not change the calculation, and Scottish rates are not applied, so for any other tax code treat the tax figure as an estimate.
Yes — many company directors pay themselves a small salary alongside dividends. Enter the annual salary you've chosen to pay yourself and the generator will calculate the tax and NI due on that salary using standard PAYE rules.
📄 Official sources
- Payslips: legal requirements
- Find HMRC-recognised payroll software
- Running payroll — employer guidance
Related tools
This generator runs entirely in your browser. No employee, employer, or payslip data is sent to our servers, stored, or shared with any third party.
This tool produces a payslip document for record-keeping and does not submit any information to HMRC. It is not a substitute for HMRC-recognised payroll software, which is legally required to file Real Time Information (RTI) if you run payroll for employees. Figures shown are estimates based on 2026/27 rates. Always verify calculations and comply with your statutory RTI filing obligations.