UK Statutory Reference · Updated April 2026
UK Statutory Rates & Thresholds 2026/27 — Complete Reference
Every UK statutory rate, threshold and band employees, employers and self-employed need in 2026/27. Income tax, NI, NLW, SSP, SMP, SPP, redundancy, pension auto-enrolment, student loan, ISA, CGT, IHT, tribunal caps — in one place, in plain English.
Income Tax bands (rUK)
Applies to England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Scotland uses different bands — see below.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | £12,570 | Tapers £1 for every £2 over £100,000; nil at £125,140+ |
| Basic rate (20%) | £12,571 – £50,270 | Standard rate band (£37,700 wide) |
| Higher rate (40%) | £50,271 – £125,140 | Includes the 60% effective trap between £100k–£125,140 |
| Additional rate (45%) | Above £125,140 | No personal allowance applies |
Income Tax bands (Scotland)
Scottish taxpayers use Scotland-specific income tax bands. NI is the same as rUK.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | £12,570 | Same as rUK; same taper rules |
| Starter rate (19%) | £12,571 – £15,397 | Scotland-specific narrow band |
| Basic rate (20%) | £15,398 – £27,491 | |
| Intermediate rate (21%) | £27,492 – £43,662 | Scotland-specific |
| Higher rate (42%) | £43,663 – £75,000 | Higher than rUK by 2pp |
| Advanced rate (45%) | £75,001 – £125,140 | Scotland-specific band |
| Top rate (48%) | Above £125,140 | Higher than rUK additional rate |
National Insurance — employees
Class 1 NI deducted via PAYE for employees.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) | £125/week | £6,500/year — qualifying for State Pension |
| Primary Threshold | £12,570/year | £242/week — NI starts above this |
| Main rate | 8% | On earnings between £12,570 and £50,270 |
| Upper Earnings Limit | £50,270/year | Rate drops above this |
| Above UEL | 2% | On earnings above £50,270 |
National Insurance — employer
Class 1 Secondary NI paid by employers on staff earnings. Reduced threshold from April 2026.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary Threshold | £5,000/year | Lowered from £9,100 in April 2025 |
| Employer rate | 15% | On earnings above £5,000 — increased from 13.8% |
| Employment Allowance | £10,500 | Reduces employer NI bill for eligible employers |
National Insurance — self-employed
Class 2 + Class 4 NI for sole traders, paid via self-assessment.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Class 2 NI threshold | £6,725/year profit | Below this — no Class 2 owed |
| Class 2 rate | £3.45/week | £179/year — voluntary since 2024 but recommended |
| Class 4 Lower Profit Limit | £12,570/year | |
| Class 4 main rate | 6% | On profits between £12,570 and £50,270 |
| Class 4 Upper Profit Limit | £50,270/year | |
| Class 4 above UPL | 2% |
National Living Wage / Minimum Wage
From 1 April 2026. Hourly minimums by age band — must be paid for all working time including paid breaks.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| NLW (21+) | £12.21/hour | National Living Wage — main rate |
| 18–20 year old rate | £10.00/hour | |
| 16–17 year old rate | £7.55/hour | |
| Apprentice rate | £7.55/hour | Under 19, or 19+ in first year of apprenticeship |
| Accommodation offset | £10.66/day | Maximum employer can deduct from NMW for accommodation |
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
Employer-paid sick pay for eligible employees.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| SSP weekly rate | £118.75/week | Up to 28 weeks per linked sickness period |
| Earnings threshold | £125/week minimum | AWE in 8 weeks before sickness |
| Waiting days | 3 days | First 3 working days unpaid |
| Maximum weeks | 28 weeks | Per linked sickness period, per employer |
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)
Up to 39 weeks of paid maternity leave from employer.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| First 6 weeks | 90% of earnings | Uncapped — 90% of average weekly earnings |
| Weeks 7-39 | £187.18/week | Or 90% of earnings if lower |
| Eligibility tenure | 26 weeks | By the qualifying week (15 weeks before due date) |
| Earnings threshold | £125/week | AWE in 8 weeks before qualifying week |
| Total leave entitlement | Up to 52 weeks | Final 13 weeks unpaid unless enhanced contractual scheme |
Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP)
Paid paternity leave for eligible fathers and partners.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| SPP weekly rate | £187.18/week | Or 90% of earnings if lower |
| Maximum duration | 2 weeks | Or 1 week — flexible from April 2024 |
| Eligibility tenure | 26 weeks | By the qualifying week |
| When taken | Within 52 weeks of birth | Can be split into 2 separate weeks |
Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP)
Paid leave for eligible adopting parents.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| First 6 weeks | 90% of earnings | Same structure as SMP |
| Weeks 7-39 | £187.18/week | Or 90% of earnings if lower |
| Total leave | Up to 52 weeks | For one parent in the adoption |
Statutory Redundancy Pay
Calculated on age-banded weeks of service. Tax-free up to £30,000.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Under 22 | 0.5 week per year | Of service |
| 22-40 | 1 week per year | Of service |
| 41+ | 1.5 weeks per year | Of service |
| Weekly cap | £719 | 2026/27 statutory cap on weekly earnings used |
| Service cap | 20 years | Maximum years counted |
| Tax-free amount | £30,000 | Statutory + ex-gratia combined |
| Maximum statutory | £21,570 | 20 years × 1.5 weeks × £719 cap |
Statutory Holiday Entitlement
Statutory minimum annual leave under the Working Time Regulations 1998.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory minimum | 5.6 weeks/year | 28 days for full-time 5-day worker |
| Maximum cap | 28 days | Statutory only — contractual can exceed |
| UK bank holidays | 8 days | May or may not be on top of 28 — check contract |
| Irregular hours rule | 12.07% | Of hours worked accrues as paid leave |
Pension auto-enrolment
Workplace pension contributions for employees aged 22+ earning above the trigger.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Earnings trigger | £10,000/year | Auto-enrolled if earning above this and aged 22+ |
| Lower qualifying earnings | £6,240/year | Contributions calculated on band above this |
| Upper qualifying earnings | £50,270/year | Contributions don't apply above this |
| Total minimum contribution | 8% | Of qualifying earnings |
| Minimum employer contribution | 3% | Of qualifying earnings |
| Minimum employee contribution | 5% | Of qualifying earnings (incl. tax relief) |
| Annual allowance | £60,000 | Combined employee + employer pension contributions |
Student Loan thresholds
Income-contingent repayment thresholds and rates.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Plan 1 | £26,065/year | 9% above threshold · Pre-Sep 2012, NI · 25-yr write-off |
| Plan 2 | £28,470/year | 9% above threshold · Sep 2012-Aug 2023 (E&W) · 30-yr write-off |
| Plan 4 (Scotland) | £32,745/year | 9% above threshold · 30-yr write-off |
| Plan 5 | £25,000/year | 9% above threshold · Sep 2023+ (England) · 40-yr write-off |
| Postgraduate Loan | £21,000/year | 6% above threshold · Stacks on undergrad plan · 30-yr write-off |
ISA & savings allowances
Tax-free saving and investment allowances.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| ISA annual allowance | £20,000 | Across cash, stocks & shares, innovative finance, Lifetime ISA |
| Junior ISA | £9,000 | Per child per tax year |
| Lifetime ISA | £4,000 | Sub-limit within £20k overall, £1,000 govt bonus |
| Personal Savings Allowance | £1,000 / £500 / £0 | Basic / higher / additional rate taxpayers |
| Dividend allowance | £500 | Tax-free dividend income before rates apply |
| Capital Gains tax-free | £3,000 | Annual exemption per individual |
Capital Gains Tax (CGT)
Tax on gains from selling assets above the annual exemption.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Annual exempt amount | £3,000 | Reduced from £12,300 in 2023 |
| Basic rate (most assets) | 18% | For gains within unused basic rate band |
| Higher rate (most assets) | 24% | For gains in higher rate band |
| Residential property basic | 18% | Most lets, second homes |
| Residential property higher | 24% | Most lets, second homes |
| Business Asset Disposal Relief | 14% | On lifetime limit of £1m |
Inheritance Tax (IHT)
Tax on estates above the threshold.
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Nil-rate band | £325,000 | Frozen until 2030 |
| Residence nil-rate band | £175,000 | Additional, on main residence to direct descendants |
| Standard IHT rate | 40% | On estate value above thresholds |
| Reduced rate (charity) | 36% | If 10%+ of estate left to charity |
| Spouse exemption | Unlimited | Transfers between spouses generally tax-free |
Employment Tribunal compensation caps
Maximum awards in unfair dismissal and other tribunal claims (April 2026).
| Item | 2026/27 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory week cap | £719/week | For redundancy, unfair dismissal basic award |
| Unfair dismissal compensatory cap | £115,115 | Or 52 weeks pay, whichever is lower |
| Statutory guarantee pay | £39/day | Maximum 5 days in 3 months |
All UK calculators on JobLabs
Every rate above pairs with a free UK calculator that runs the maths for your specific numbers. Recruiter-built, no signup, runs in your browser.
UK monthly take-home calculator
Gross to net via tax bands, NI, student loan, pension
UK Self-Employed Tax Calculator
Income tax + Class 2/4 NI for sole traders
UK Bonus Tax Calculator
One-off bonus net after tax + NI, flags 60% trap
UK pay rise tool
Three defensible bands for your next review
UK Salary Sacrifice Calculator
Pension, EV, cycle-to-work tax + NI savings
UK Student Loan Repayment Calculator
Plan 1/2/4/5/PG with write-off projections
UK Redundancy Pay Calculator
Statutory + ex-gratia, £30k tax-free portion
UK Statutory Maternity Pay Calculator
SMP over 39 weeks + enhanced contractual modelling
UK Statutory Sick Pay Calculator
SSP + company sick pay top-up modelling
UK Holiday Entitlement Calculator
5.6 weeks pro-rated for any working pattern
UK Notice Period Calculator
Statutory + contractual notice + last day
UK Offer Comparison Tool
Side-by-side total comp on two offers
See all 14 calculators at /free-tools/.
When these rates next change
UK statutory rates are uprated annually:
- Income tax bands and personal allowance — next review at the Autumn Budget for changes from April 2027. Currently frozen until April 2028.
- National Insurance thresholds — typically uprated each April with CPI.
- National Living Wage and Minimum Wage — uprated each April based on Low Pay Commission recommendations. The 2027 rates will be announced in the Autumn 2026 statement.
- Statutory benefits (SSP, SMP, SPP, SAP) — typically uprated each April with CPI. Announced in the Autumn statement.
- Pension auto-enrolment thresholds — reviewed annually but often unchanged. Currently frozen on £6,240 lower / £50,270 upper qualifying earnings.
- Student loan thresholds — uprated each April for Plans 2 and 4; Plans 1 and 5 follow different mechanisms.
This page is updated within 7 days of any rate change being announced. If you want to be notified, subscribe to our weekly memo at the bottom of the page.
A note on accuracy
Every figure on this page is sourced from UK government sources (gov.uk, HMRC, DWP, Acas) and cross-checked against the Spring 2026 Statement and the 2026/27 Finance Act. Tax law is complex and individual circumstances vary — for high-stakes decisions (large redundancy negotiations, complex self-assessment, executive compensation) consult a qualified tax advisor, accountant, or employment solicitor. This page is a reference, not advice.
Statutory rates in real-life UK scenarios
Hand-picked scenarios most readers of this page need next.
- Statutory redundancy pay calculation How the £700 weekly cap interacts with age-multipliers.
- Statutory notice periods + pay 1 week per year of service, capped at 12 weeks.
- Statutory Sick Pay scenarios When SSP applies + 28-week cap mechanics.
- Statutory maternity scenarios 90% pay weeks + 33-week £-rate calculation.
- Statutory holiday entitlement 5.6 weeks (28 days) and how part-time pro-rata works.
- Equality Act statutory floor When statutory rates intersect with discrimination claims.