Pension calculator
See what your pension contribution really costs.
Compare tax relief, National Insurance and employer funding for a pension contribution.
Calculate pension tax relief
2025-26Employer and payroll assumptions ⌄
Employee take-home cost
£4,000
£5,000 employee contribution · £5,000 total reaches the pension
How the contribution is treated⌄
The provider adds £1,000 basic-rate relief. No additional relief is estimated from these inputs.
Funding and relief breakdown
Where the pension funding comes from
| Employee gross contribution | £5,000 |
|---|---|
| Provider basic-rate relief | £1,000 |
| Additional relief potentially claimable | £0 |
| Employer contribution and NI sharing | £0 |
| Total entering pension | £5,000 |
How it works
Compare three ways of making a pension contribution
The calculator compares relief at source, net pay and salary sacrifice using the selected tax year, UK region, employment income and contribution. It separates the amount that reaches the pension from the estimated reduction in take-home pay.
Relief at source usually means you pay a net amount and the provider adds basic-rate relief. Net pay deducts the gross contribution before Income Tax through payroll. Salary sacrifice exchanges contractual salary for an employer pension contribution and may also change National Insurance.
Understanding your result
Focus on employee cost and pension funding
The employee take-home cost estimates how much less disposable pay you retain after the contribution and selected relief assumptions. “Total entering pension” combines the gross employee contribution, provider relief where applicable, employer contributions and any entered employer National Insurance sharing.
Additional higher- or additional-rate relief under relief at source may need to be claimed separately. It is not normally added to the pension by the provider, so the calculator displays it separately from provider relief.
Assumptions and limitations
This is a contribution comparison, not an allowance assessment
The estimate does not determine whether every contribution qualifies for relief or calculate an Annual Allowance charge. Relevant earnings, the Annual Allowance, carry forward, the tapered allowance, the Money Purchase Annual Allowance and defined-benefit pension growth can all affect an individual position.
Salary sacrifice depends on an employer agreeing to change contractual pay. It may affect statutory pay, salary-linked benefits or borrowing assessments. Confirm the arrangement with your employer or pension provider before acting.
Official information
Check the current pension rules
Read GOV.UK guidance on pension tax relief, HMRC guidance on salary sacrifice and PAYE, and the pension Annual Allowance guidance.
Related calculators
Explore the effect on contractual and take-home pay with the Salary Sacrifice Calculator, or project future contributions with the Pension Pot Projection Calculator.