National Insurance Calculator UK 2026/27, Employee & Self-Employed
Calculate your National Insurance contributions for 2026/27. Covers employee Class 1, self-employed Class 4, and employer Class 1 (secondary) NI, with annual and monthly breakdowns.
UK National Insurance for 2026/27: employees pay Class 1 at 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% above. Self-employed people pay Class 4 at 6% / 2% on profits using the same band thresholds. Employer (secondary) Class 1 is 15% on earnings above the £5,000 secondary threshold from 6 April 2025. NI funds the State Pension, NHS, and certain benefits, calculated separately from income tax.
Enter your salary or profits for an annual and monthly NI breakdown.
National Insurance Calculator 2026/27
£2,594
Your NI (annual)
£216
Your NI (monthly)
£6,000
Employer NI
£51,000
True cost to employer
Your NI, Class 1 (Employee)
| Band | Rate | Earnings | NI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below threshold (£0 to £12,570) | 0% | £12,570 | £0 |
| Main rate (£12,571 to £50,270) | 8% | £32,430 | £2,594 |
| Total Your NI | £2,594 | ||
Employer NI (paid by your employer)
| Band | Rate | Earnings | NI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below secondary threshold (£0 to £5,000) | 0% | £5,000 | £0 |
| Employer rate (above £5,000) | 15% | £40,000 | £6,000 |
| Total Employer NI | £6,000 | ||
Calculator uses 2026/27 NI rates: employee Class 1 at 8% / 2% with PT £12,570 and UEL £50,270, self-employed Class 4 at 6% / 2% with the same thresholds, and employer (secondary) Class 1 at 15% above the £5,000 secondary threshold from 6 April 2025. Class 2 is no longer automatically charged on self-employed profits above the Lower Profits Limit from 6 April 2024 and is not included in the headline self-employed total above; voluntary Class 2 may apply for those below the Small Profits Threshold (separate optional decision; check GOV.UK).
General information only. This calculator and the guidance below are not tax, legal, financial, accounting, payroll, pension, or investment advice. National Insurance rates, thresholds, and class definitions change; special employer categories (apprentices, under-21s, veterans, freeport / investment-zone workers) attract different rates that this calculator does not model. Verify your specific situation with HMRC, GOV.UK, or a qualified accountant or tax adviser before relying on any figure for filing, payroll, or planning decisions.
How National Insurance Actually Works
National Insurance is a separate tax that sits alongside income tax. It funds the State Pension, the NHS, and certain benefits such as Jobseeker's Allowance. By contrast, income tax goes into general government spending; NI is intended to be ring-fenced, at least in theory.
You pay NI on employment earnings or self-employment profits, but not on savings interest, dividends, rental income, or capital gains. This distinction matters for tax planning, and is one reason limited-company directors typically take a small salary plus dividends rather than a large salary.
There are several "classes" of NI. Employees pay Class 1 (8% main, 2% upper) above the Primary Threshold of £12,570. Self-employed people pay Class 4 (6% main, 2% upper) on profits using the same band thresholds. Employers pay employer (secondary) Class 1 at 15% on earnings above the £5,000 secondary threshold from 6 April 2025; employer NI is paid on top of your salary, not deducted from it. Class 2 is no longer automatically charged on self-employed profits above the Lower Profits Limit from 6 April 2024; voluntary Class 2 may still apply for those below the Small Profits Threshold who want to maintain a State Pension record. Voluntary Class 3 contributions can fill gaps in your NI record (current weekly rate published on GOV.UK).
NI Classes at a Glance, 2026/27
| Class | Who Pays | Rate | Threshold | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 (employee) | Employees | 8% / 2% | £12,571 to £50,270 / above £50,270 | State Pension, NHS, benefits |
| Class 1 (employer) | Employers | 15% | Above £5,000 (from 6 April 2025) | NHS, statutory payments |
| Class 2 (voluntary) | Self-employed below SPT | Voluntary weekly rate (check GOV.UK) | Profits below the Small Profits Threshold | Maintain State Pension record where credits not auto-applied |
| Class 4 | Self-employed | 6% / 2% | £12,571 to £50,270 / above £50,270 | General NI fund |
| Class 3 | Voluntary | Weekly rate set by HMRC (check GOV.UK) | None (voluntary) | Fill NI record gaps |
The employee Class 1 main rate was cut to 8% from 6 April 2024 (after a temporary 10% rate from January 2024) and the self-employed Class 4 main rate was cut to 6% from the same date. From 6 April 2025 the Autumn 2024 Budget raised employer (secondary) Class 1 NI to 15% and lowered the secondary threshold to £5,000, materially increasing the employer payroll cost above the threshold. Verify all current 2026/27 figures on GOV.UK before relying on them.
Employee vs Self-Employed, Who Pays More?
| Income | Employee NI | Employer NI | Self-Employed Class 4 | Total Cost (Employed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | £594 | £2,250 | £446 | £2,844 |
| £30,000 | £1,394 | £3,750 | £1,046 | £5,144 |
| £40,000 | £2,194 | £5,250 | £1,646 | £7,444 |
| £50,000 | £2,994 | £6,750 | £2,246 | £9,744 |
| £60,000 | £3,211 | £8,250 | £2,457 | £11,461 |
| £80,000 | £3,611 | £11,250 | £2,857 | £14,861 |
| £100,000 | £4,011 | £14,250 | £3,257 | £18,261 |
Self-employed figures use Class 4 only; voluntary Class 2 is not included in this comparison and is a separate optional decision for those below the Small Profits Threshold. The Total Cost column is employee NI plus employer NI, money that is part of the cost of employing you and would otherwise be available for salary, pension, or other benefits. A £50,000 employee costs the employer about £56,750 in salary plus employer NI combined, before any Employment Allowance offset. Self-employed people get no statutory sick pay, parental pay, or employer pension contributions, so a like-for-like comparison should price in those structural differences as well.
NI and Your State Pension
35
Qualifying years for full new State Pension
10
Minimum qualifying years for any State Pension
£241.30
Full new State Pension per week (2026/27)
Each qualifying year you build through NI contributions adds approximately £6.89 per week to your State Pension at the 2026/27 rate (£241.30 divided by 35), or about £358.50 per year for life. Voluntary Class 3 contributions let you fill gaps in your record at the weekly rate published by HMRC (check GOV.UK for the current figure); within the relevant deadline, buying back a missing year can add hundreds of pounds per year of pension for life and is often strong value, especially if you are within six years of State Pension age.
Check your NI record at gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record. It shows how many qualifying years you have, any gaps, and whether buying voluntary years is worthwhile in your specific situation. Decisions around voluntary contributions and timing are most appropriately run past a qualified financial adviser before you transfer money to HMRC.
Worked Example: Layla Earns £50,000 PAYE for 2026/27
Layla is a UK PAYE employee earning a £50,000 gross salary in the 2026/27 tax year. The calculation below shows her own employee Class 1 NI plus the employer (secondary) Class 1 NI her employer pays on top of her salary. No salary sacrifice or pension contribution is applied; income tax is calculated separately by the Income Tax Calculator and the Take-Home Pay Calculator.
Layla's NI on her payslip is £2,994 per year. The employer's £6,750 of secondary NI does not appear on her payslip but is part of the cost of employing her. Any Employment Allowance the employer claims would offset some of that £6,750; sole-director limited companies are typically not eligible. Income tax on Layla's salary, plus pension or student loan deductions, is computed separately on the Take-Home Pay Calculator.
Practical National Insurance Strategy
General considerations for managing UK National Insurance in 2026/27. Specific decisions need a qualified accountant, payroll specialist, or financial adviser; this is general information only.
- Check your NI record annually. Visit gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record and look for gaps. Years spent abroad, on low income, on parental leave without claiming Child Benefit, or on full-time study after age 18 can leave gaps. Each missing qualifying year costs roughly the per-year value of the full new State Pension; verify on GOV.UK against the current published amount.
- Understand the 35-year and 10-year qualifying rules. 35 qualifying years gives the full new State Pension under the post-2016 rules; 10 is the minimum to receive any new State Pension. If you have between 10 and 35, you receive a proportional amount.
- Voluntary Class 3 buy-back economics. Class 3 lets you fill gaps in your NI record at the weekly rate published by HMRC. The cost of buying back one year often pays back in the first one to three years of State Pension after you reach SPA. There are deadlines: you can usually buy back the previous six tax years, with limited extensions for certain transition years. Check your specific situation on GOV.UK.
- Voluntary Class 2 only matters below the Small Profits Threshold. Self-employed people with profits above the SPT receive the State Pension credit automatically without paying Class 2 from 6 April 2024 onwards. Voluntary Class 2 below the SPT is materially cheaper than Class 3, so if you are self-employed with low profits and want to keep building qualifying years, Class 2 voluntary contributions are usually the cheaper route.
- Salary sacrifice saves both employee and employer NI. A pension contribution made via salary sacrifice reduces gross pay before income tax and NI are calculated. Employee NI on the sacrificed amount (8% within the £12,570 to £50,270 main band, 2% above) and employer NI (15% above £5,000) are both saved. Some employers pass back some or all of the employer NI saving as an additional pension contribution. Check the scheme's specific rules.
- Employer NI and the Employment Allowance. Eligible employers may offset up to £10,500 of employer NI per year (subject to GOV.UK confirmation for 2026/27). Sole-director limited companies are not eligible if the director is the only paid employee earning above the secondary threshold; the rule is intended to direct the relief to genuine multi-employee small businesses.
- Stop NI deductions at State Pension age. Employee Class 1 NI stops on the date you reach State Pension age. You should give your employer your CA4140 certificate (or a letter from HMRC) to update payroll. If your tax code or NI category does not update in time, you can claim a refund through HMRC. Employer NI does still apply on your earnings even after you reach State Pension age.
- Multiple jobs may need annualisation. Each PAYE job applies the £12,570 Primary Threshold and £50,270 Upper Earnings Limit independently. If you have two or more jobs and your combined earnings push you over the annual maximum, you can apply for a refund using HMRC form CA5610 or a deferment letter for the upcoming year.
- Get advice before structural changes. Becoming self-employed, incorporating a limited company, hiring a first employee, taking on a director, moving abroad, or planning around State Pension age all interact with NI in non-obvious ways. A qualified accountant, payroll specialist, or financial adviser is usually the most cost-effective route before making the change, not after.
Limitations of This Calculator
This is a simplified estimate, not a payslip or full payroll calculation. The calculator covers employee Class 1, employer Class 1 (secondary), and self-employed Class 4 NI at 2026/27 rates only. Specifically:
- No directors' annual earnings period. Company directors who use the alternative or annual-earnings-basis calculation method may see different NI on individual paydays compared with this annualised view; the year-end total should reconcile.
- No Class 1A or Class 1B NI. Employer Class 1A on benefits in kind and Class 1B on PAYE Settlement Agreements are out of scope.
- No special employer NI categories. The calculator does not model the reduced or zero employer NI rates that apply to apprentices under 25, employees under 21, ex-armed-forces veterans in their first 12 months, or freeport / investment-zone employees within the qualifying conditions.
- No multiple-job annualisation. If you have more than one PAYE job, this calculator does not model duplicate Primary Threshold use or the annual maximum refund route via HMRC form CA5610.
- No benefits in kind. Company car, private medical, gym membership, and other taxable benefits flow through your tax code rather than NI for the employee, but they affect employer Class 1A NI; out of scope.
- Voluntary Class 2 and Class 3 are not auto-charged. These are separate optional decisions and need to be assessed against your specific circumstances; the calculator does not compute them.
- Salary sacrifice depends on your employer's scheme. The general rule is that NI is saved on the sacrificed amount, but exact treatment varies by scheme; confirm with payroll.
- NI is reserved to Westminster. The same Class 1 / Class 4 / Class 2 / Class 3 rules apply UK-wide, including in Scotland and Wales. Income tax differs in Scotland and Wales (devolved) and is not modelled by this NI calculator.
- Rates and thresholds change. NI rates, thresholds, the Employment Allowance, voluntary Class 2 / Class 3 weekly rates, and the State Pension weekly figure all change between Budgets. Verify on GOV.UK before relying on a precise number.
For decisions that turn on more than a few hundred pounds, get a personal calculation from a qualified accountant, tax adviser, or payroll specialist using your full circumstances.
Different Populations: How NI Affects You
NI exposure depends on how you earn, whether you are above or below the relevant thresholds, and which reliefs or special categories apply.
| Situation | Typical NI position |
|---|---|
| PAYE employee | Employee Class 1 deducted from each payslip (8% main, 2% upper); employer Class 1 (15% above £5,000 ST) paid by your employer on top. Same UK-wide for residents of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. |
| Self-employed sole trader | Class 4 NI on profits above £12,570 (6% main, 2% upper) reported via Self Assessment. No automatic Class 2 charge above the Small Profits Threshold from 6 April 2024 onwards; voluntary Class 2 may apply for those below the SPT who want to maintain a State Pension record. |
| Limited-company director | Typically a small salary plus dividends. Salary side runs through PAYE; dividends are not subject to NI. Employer NI on the director's salary above £5,000 still applies; sole-director companies cannot claim the Employment Allowance if the director is the only paid employee above the secondary threshold. |
| Employer / payroll manager | Reports and pays employer Class 1 (15% above £5,000) and employee Class 1 (deducted at source) via PAYE. Employment Allowance offsets up to £10,500 (subject to eligibility). Class 1A on benefits in kind and Class 1B on PSAs are reported separately. |
| Salary-sacrifice user | Sacrificed pension or other approved benefits reduce gross pay before income tax and NI; employee Class 1 saving is 8% (or 2%) on the sacrificed amount within the relevant band, and the employer also saves 15% NI above £5,000. Some employers pass back the employer NI saving. |
| Person near State Pension age | Employee Class 1 NI stops on the date you reach State Pension age; give your employer the CA4140 certificate or a letter from HMRC to update payroll. Self-employed Class 4 stops at SPA. Employer Class 1 still applies on your earnings even after SPA. |
| Person with missing qualifying years | Voluntary Class 3 or Class 2 contributions may fill gaps. Class 2 is materially cheaper than Class 3 where eligible (self-employed below SPT). Deadlines apply; usually six years back, with limited extensions for certain transition periods. Check current GOV.UK guidance. |
| Multiple-job employee | Each employer applies the £12,570 PT and £50,270 UEL independently, which can over-collect NI. Apply for a refund via HMRC form CA5610 after the tax year ends, or request deferment in advance for the next year. |
| Special employer category (apprentice, under-21, veteran, freeport / investment zone) | Employer Class 1 may be 0% up to higher thresholds for some of these categories, subject to qualifying conditions. Not modelled in this calculator; check current GOV.UK guidance and HMRC's payroll software requirements. |
For non-UK comparisons, the position changes year to year and the precise figures should be verified with the relevant authority (HMRC, IRS, CRA, ATO).
Common National Insurance Mistakes
Not checking your NI record for gaps
Years spent abroad, on low income, or caring for children without claiming Child Benefit can leave gaps. Each missing qualifying year costs roughly the per-year value of the new State Pension for life. Check gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record and consider voluntary Class 2 or Class 3 contributions before the relevant deadline.
Thinking employer NI is not your problem
Employer (secondary) Class 1 NI at 15% above the £5,000 secondary threshold is money that would otherwise be available for your salary, pension, or benefits. When negotiating a £5,000 raise, your employer also takes on roughly £750 of additional NI cost on top. This hidden tax reduces your bargaining power.
Paying NI past State Pension age
You stop paying employee NI at State Pension age. State Pension age is transitioning from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028; people born 6 March 1961 to 5 April 1977 generally reach State Pension age at 67. Check GOV.UK for your exact date. Tell your employer; if your tax code or NI category does not update automatically, you could overpay for months. Apply for a refund through HMRC's National Insurance helpline.
Ignoring salary sacrifice for pension contributions
Salary sacrifice for pension contributions saves you employee NI (8% within the £12,570 to £50,270 main band, 2% above) on top of the income tax relief on the sacrificed amount. On a £5,000 sacrifice at £50,000 salary you save about £400 in employee NI; your employer also saves about £750 in employer NI (15% × £5,000) and some employers pass back part of that into the pension contribution. Verify the scheme's specific rules with payroll.
Assuming Class 2 NI is still automatically charged for self-employed people above the old threshold
From 6 April 2024 Class 2 NI is no longer automatically charged on self-employed profits above the Lower Profits Limit. Eligible self-employed people get the State Pension credit without paying. Voluntary Class 2 may still apply for those below the Small Profits Threshold who want to maintain a record. Older guidance and templates still show Class 2 in the headline figure; do not rely on them for current 2026/27 returns.
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Sources
- GOV.UK: National Insurance rates and categories
- GOV.UK: Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027
- GOV.UK: Self-employed National Insurance (Class 2 and Class 4)
- GOV.UK: Voluntary National Insurance contributions (Class 3)
- GOV.UK: Employment Allowance
- GOV.UK: State Pension overview and amounts
- GOV.UK: Check your National Insurance record
- GOV.UK: State Pension age
- GOV.UK: Salary sacrifice and pensions
- HMRC: National Insurance categories letters
- ATO: Superannuation Guarantee (for international comparison)
How to use this tool
Enter your annual salary or self-employment profits
Select whether you're employed or self-employed
View your NI contributions breakdown including employer NI if applicable
Common uses
- Checking NI deductions on your payslip
- Self-employed tax planning with Class 4 NI (Class 2 voluntary contributions are separate)
- Understanding the true cost of hiring (employer NI)
- Salary sacrifice calculations (NI savings)
- Comparing employed vs self-employed NI
- Checking if you're building State Pension credits
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is National Insurance?
What are the NI rates for 2026/27?
When do I start paying National Insurance?
Do I stop paying NI when I reach State Pension age?
What is the difference between Class 1, 2, and 4 NI?
How many NI years do I need for the full State Pension?
Can I get a refund on overpaid NI?
Does NI apply to dividend income?
What is the employer's NI contribution?
Is NI the same as income tax?
How does UK NI compare to US, Canadian, and Australian social contributions?
Results are for general informational purposes only and should be checked before use. They are not professional advice. See our Disclaimer and Terms of Service.