Pension tax relief calculator
Compare salary sacrifice, workplace net pay and personal pension contributions, and see how each affects your take-home pay.
Your contribution
Compare the same pension amount across three arrangements.
The total going into your pension, including any provider top-up. Excludes regular employer contributions.
For a £5,000 personal pension target, you pay £4,000 and the provider adds £1,000 over the year.
Tax settings · England · 2026/27
Rates checked 9 September 2026 against GOV.UK: rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 and gov.scot: Scottish Income Tax rates and bands 2026 to 2027.
Tax code 1257L. No bonus, student loan or other deductions. Employer contributions and pension annual allowance charges are excluded.
The same amount reaches your pension
£417 / month
Compare the reduction in your spending money after tax relief below.
Salary sacrifice
Cost to you after tax relief
£242per month
Income Tax and National Insurance savings are included in this estimate.
Workplace net pay
Cost to you after tax relief
£250per month
Income Tax relief is included; National Insurance is unchanged.
Personal / relief at source
Cost to you after tax relief
£250per month
You pay £333 from take-home pay. The cost above includes £83 of further tax relief as a monthly equivalent; you may need to claim it.
Your retirement pot projection
See how your current pension and regular contributions could grow over time. Change the assumptions to explore different outcomes.
You can model returns from 0% to 100% for scenario testing. Higher values are not a forecast.
You can model inflation from 0% to 100% for scenario testing. Higher values are not a forecast.
Projected pot at 68
£612,788
About £288,738 in today’s money
Your contributions
£182,400
Investment growth
£415,388
Monthly total
£400
This is an illustration, not a guarantee. Investment returns, inflation, charges, contribution changes and pension rules can all affect the outcome. It does not estimate tax or drawdown income.
Compare the full breakdown
All figures below are per month. Without pension contributions, take-home would be £3,780. Monthly figures are annual estimates divided by 12, not a promise about the timing of a tax refund.
| Per month | Salary sacrifice | Workplace net pay | Personal / relief at source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash paid / gross salary given up | £417 | £417 | £333 |
| Provider adds to pension | £0 | £0 | £83 |
| Total reaching pension | £417 | £417 | £417 |
| Take-home before further claim | £3,538 | £3,530 | £3,446 |
| Further tax relief to claim | £0 | £0 | £83 |
| Take-home after further relief | £3,538 | £3,530 | £3,530 |
Why do the cash amounts differ?
Net pay contributions reduce pay subject to Income Tax. Salary sacrifice also reduces the earnings used here for National Insurance and student loans. Relief-at-source contributions come from take-home pay, with a provider top-up and potentially a separate tax-relief claim.
What should I check with my employer?
Confirm the pension arrangement, whether contributions use full salary or qualifying earnings, and how any salary sacrifice affects contractual benefits. Salary sacrifice must not reduce cash earnings below the applicable minimum wage. This tool does not check minimum wage, annual allowance charges, carry-forward or pension access rules.
Relief at source assumes eligibility under age 75. Further relief may arrive through a claim or tax-code change, not monthly cash. Sources: HMRC pension tax relief, tax-band extensions and salary sacrifice guidance. Explore the personal allowance taper above £100,000.