Guides
Tax and pay guides
Short, plain-English explanations of the rules behind your payslip, with figures worked out by the same engine as the calculators.
United Kingdom
The 60% tax trap: what happens between £100,000 and £125,140Why income between £100,000 and £125,140 is taxed at an effective 60%, how much it costs in 2026/27, and how pension contributions get the allowance back.UK tax codes explainedWhat your tax code means in 2026/27: 1257L, BR, D0, D1, 0T, NT, K codes, the S and C prefixes and emergency codes W1, M1 and X.Student loan repayments: thresholds and what you will payStudent loan repayment thresholds for 2026/27 for Plans 1, 2, 4, 5 and postgraduate loans, with monthly repayments at common salaries.Scottish vs English income tax: who pays more?Scottish and English income tax bands compared for 2026/27, with take-home pay side by side from £20,000 to £150,000 and the salary where Scotland starts to cost more.
Ireland
Canada
CPP and CPP2 explained for 2026How CPP and the second CPP contribution (CPP2) work in 2026: the $74,600 and $85,000 ceilings, rates, maximum contributions and what comes off your pay.Take-home pay by province in 2026How much of a $60,000 and $100,000 salary you keep in every Canadian province and territory in 2026, ranked, after federal and provincial tax, CPP and EI.