TaxHelper

About us

UK tax made simple.
For everyone.

TaxHelper is a free, independent UK tax calculator and guide site. We exist to help ordinary workers understand their pay, check their tax code, and keep more of what they earn - without needing an accountant.

Free

Calculators and guides — no paywall

5

Tax regions supported

6

Student loan plans covered

2021

Year we launched

Our mission

The UK tax system is one of the most complicated in the world. Even a straightforward salaried worker deals with income tax bands, National Insurance categories, student loan repayment plans, pension modes, and a tax code that can change without warning. Most people have no idea whether their payslip is right - and have no easy way to check.

We think that is wrong. Your pay is your money. You should be able to understand exactly where it goes.

TaxHelper was built to fix that. We publish free calculators that match HMRC's published rates exactly - not rounded estimates or last year's numbers - alongside plain-English guides that explain the rules in terms anyone can understand. Every calculation is transparent: we show the breakdown line by line, with the methodology behind it.

We also believe that transparency builds trust. If you spot an error in our calculations, we want to hear about it. Use the contact link below - we take accuracy seriously and act quickly on reports.

Our editorial team

TaxHelper's guides and calculators are produced by a small team with backgrounds in UK personal finance, HMRC policy, and chartered accountancy. All rates and thresholds are verified against HMRC's published guidance at the start of each tax year and updated promptly when interim changes occur.

TaxHelper Editorial Team

Content & Calculators

Our team researches and writes all tax rate content. Calculators are updated each April following the Budget and Finance Act.

Accuracy review

Accuracy review panel

Each guide is reviewed against the relevant GOV.UK and HMRC guidance before publication. Correction requests are addressed within 48 hours.

Found an error? Contact us — accuracy reports are reviewed and corrected within 24 hours.

What we stand for

Always accurate

Every rate, threshold and band in our tools comes from a database we maintain each April when HMRC publishes new figures. We do not hardcode numbers - so when rules change, the calculators update automatically.

Built for real people

Most tax sites are written for accountants. We write for employees, freelancers and anyone trying to understand a payslip. Plain English, real examples, no jargon.

Private by design

We do not sell your data or run targeted ads. Your salary and tax figures stay in your browser unless you choose to save them to an account. We never share personal information with third parties.

Genuinely free

Every tool, guide and calculator on TaxHelper is free to use with no paywall, no credit card and no limit on the number of calculations you run. We keep the lights on through optional accounts and sponsorships.

HMRC-aligned

Our calculations follow published HMRC methodology: cumulative PAYE, correct NI thresholds, salary sacrifice and relief-at-source pension modes, and all six student loan plans. We show our working.

Fast and open

No log-in required. Results appear instantly. We support URL sharing so you can bookmark or send a calculation to a colleague or financial adviser with one link.

How we stay free

TaxHelper is free to use, and we intend to keep it that way. We cover our costs through:

  • Optional accounts - a free account lets you save calculations and track changes over time. We may introduce premium features for power users in the future.
  • Contextual recommendations - we occasionally recommend relevant financial products (pension providers, tax advisers, savings accounts) when they are genuinely useful. We clearly label these.
  • Advertising - we may show relevant display ads to help keep the service free. We only work with advertisers whose products are relevant to personal finance and tax, and we never sell your personal data.

We will never put the core calculators or guides behind a paywall. If something is free today, it stays free.

Read our editorial policy for how we source rates, write guides, and handle corrections.

Important: this is not financial advice

TaxHelper provides information, not regulated financial or tax advice. Our calculators produce estimates based on published HMRC rates and standard assumptions. They cannot account for every individual circumstance - for example, complex benefit-in-kind arrangements, trusts, foreign income, or specific HMRC agreements.

For decisions involving significant sums of money, a material life change (divorce, inheritance, starting a business), or any situation where you are unsure, please consult a qualified professional:

  • A chartered accountant (ICAEW or ICAS member) for tax and financial matters
  • A regulated financial adviser (FCA-registered) for investment and pension decisions
  • HMRC directly via your Personal Tax Account or by calling 0300 200 3300

Tax rules change every year. While we update our tools as quickly as possible when HMRC publishes new figures, always verify important calculations against official HMRC guidance.

Get started

Try our salary calculator, explore the guides, or get in touch if you have a question or spot an error.