Best calculator for checking a payslip
| Feature | UK Tax Calculators | My Pay Calculator | Listen to Taxman | Money Worked Out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay and deductions for a named pay period | Yes | No | No | No |
| Year-to-date pay and tax inputs | Yes | No | No | No |
| Week 1 or month 1 calculation option | Yes | No | No | No |
| Enter your own tax code | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| National Insurance category choice | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Adverts | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Third-party scripts | 4 found | 5 found | 14 found | None |
| Cookie banner | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Written arithmetic for the entered figures | Not checked | Yes | No | Yes |
| Tax year shown | 2026/27 selectable | 2026/27 | 2026/27 (dropdown 2026/27 back to 2000/01) | 2026/27 |
| Matched numerical scenario | Not run | Not run | Not run | Not run |
If tax on a payslip looks wrong, gather the pay period, tax code and year-to-date figures first. An annual salary estimate cannot account for every adjustment made by payroll.
Choose a period check for one payday
UK Tax Calculators' selected checker has actual tax and NI inputs alongside period pay. It also asks for pay frequency and period number. That makes its form more suited to investigating one payday than simply dividing a yearly estimate.
The other selected forms estimate salary over a year. Money Worked Out's take-home tool shows each deduction and its arithmetic. The payroll differences guide explains why an estimate can differ from a payslip.
Keep cumulative and emergency tax apart
Cumulative payroll considers pay and tax so far in the tax year. A week 1 or month 1 basis works for the current period in isolation. UK Tax Calculators has year-to-date pay and tax fields plus a non-cumulative option; their presence does not certify the output.
Use the code explanation to understand your letters and suffixes. My Pay Calculator's help asks users to omit emergency suffixes from its estimate. That instruction should not be treated as a model of emergency payroll.
Read NI and pension lines separately
Listen to Taxman and My Pay Calculator have NI category choices. Money Worked Out's main salary form uses the standard category and cannot match every letter. The NI rates explain the difference between contributions and Income Tax.
A pension deduction can change taxable pay, and salary sacrifice can also change the NI base. The pension-method comparison helps identify which treatment your employer uses. Check the plan on the loan repayment page if that line differs too.
Take a specific question to payroll
Compare the same pay period and deduction settings, then ask payroll about the line you cannot reconcile. GOV.UK explains where to find your tax code. HMRC tells your employer which code to use; a calculator does not replace that instruction.
How we checked
The criteria for payslip checks were set before this comparison was written. Selected external forms and their published text were captured on 4 October 2026; older main-form evidence is dated 3 October. First-party source and existing independent tests support the Money Worked Out entry. Period checking requires a named period and actual deductions. Year-to-date and non-cumulative features are distinct. A salary-frequency selector or help about emergency codes does not count as a cumulative calculation. Successful external Script responses were grouped by service before consent on the stated dates, excluding same-origin scripts, styles, fonts and separate beacons. Unknown adverts or cookie banners remain unconfirmed. Zero observed script services is a dated observation. Checks before consent do not certify normal use after consent.
No matched numerical result is published for these selected forms. Feature coverage does not establish calculation accuracy.
Checked on 4 October 2026.
Does a monthly salary input make a cumulative checker?
A frequency input can annualise salary without using previous pay or tax. Look for year-to-date fields and a period number.
Can Money Worked Out confirm the tax on this month's payslip?
It explains an annual estimate. It has no cumulative payroll inputs, so a match or mismatch cannot confirm one payday's tax.
Does the NI category matter?
Yes. Choose the category shown on your payslip where the form supports it, and ask payroll if the letter is unexpected.
Have these period calculations been independently certified?
The external period check was reviewed for controls and scope. No matched numerical payslip scenario is published here.