Tool directory
Choose the right salary tool first.
A compact command centre for take-home pay, salary comparison, reverse planning, payslip checks and specialist deduction routes.
01
Calculate
Start with take-home pay so the salary has a real monthly number.
02
Decide
Compare, reverse-plan or check a payslip depending on the real question.
03
Specialise
Add student loan, tax code, overtime, bonus or statutory-pay context only when needed.
Primary routes
Start with the tool that matches the question.
These four routes cover the highest-intent salary problems: calculate, compare, reverse-plan and check a real payslip.
Salary calculator
Start with a gross salary and see the monthly take-home reality after tax, NI, pension and student loan deductions.
Compare salary
Compare two salaries by monthly take-home difference, not just headline gross pay.
Reverse salary
Work backwards from the monthly amount you want to keep and estimate the gross salary needed.
Payslip checker
Check PAYE, National Insurance, pension, student loan and tax-code signals when a payslip feels wrong.
Specialist routes
Add context only when it matters.
Keep the journey focused. Use these tools when a specific deduction, leave-pay scenario or payroll signal changes the answer.
Student loan calculator
Estimate how Plan 1, Plan 2, Plan 4, Plan 5 or postgraduate loan deductions affect take-home pay.
Tax code decoder
Understand what a UK tax code may suggest before checking it against official records or payroll.
Tax refund calculator
Estimate possible overpayment context and move into a clearer next step without overclaiming.
Salary sacrifice calculator
Estimate how sacrifice-style deductions may change taxable pay and take-home outcomes.
Bonus tax calculator
Understand why bonus pay can feel heavily taxed when it lands in payroll.
Overtime calculator
Estimate whether extra hours create meaningful take-home value after deductions.
Maternity pay calculator
Plan a salary drop or statutory-pay period with clearer monthly context.
Paternity pay calculator
Estimate paternity-pay context without mixing it into general salary calculations.
Holiday pay calculator
Check holiday-pay context with a cleaner route than a general salary calculator.
How to choose
Pick the tool by the user’s problem, not by the deduction name.
TaxDecod should route people to the shortest useful path. A payslip problem, salary decision and monthly budget target need different tools even when they all involve PAYE deductions.
Gross salary first
Use the main calculator when the question is simple: ‘what will this salary pay me each month?’ It keeps Income Tax, National Insurance, pension and student-loan inputs in one place.
Decision first
Use compare salary or reverse salary when the user is deciding on an offer, raise or monthly target. Those pages are designed around the decision, not the tax table.
Payroll problem first
Use payslip, tax-code and refund tools when the issue is a real payroll signal: a strange deduction, emergency code, refund possibility or student-loan line.
Reference discipline
The tools use official tax sources before editorial interpretation.
The directory links into calculators and guides, but the underlying estimates should stay anchored to published tax-year rules and clearly labelled assumptions.
Income Tax basis
GOV.UK publishes the current Personal Allowance and Income Tax bands used as the baseline for salary estimates.
Open source →Payroll thresholds
HMRC employer guidance lists PAYE and National Insurance thresholds for the 2026/27 tax year.
Open source →Official estimate route
GOV.UK’s own estimator is the official cross-check for employee Income Tax, NI, pension and student-loan deductions.
Open source →Next best move
Move from tools into salary discovery.
Once the calculator result is clear, the strongest next step is usually a salary page, guide, or benchmark route.