Tax code checker

Type in the tax code from your payslip, P60 or pension statement. The checker explains each letter and number, works out the tax-free pay the code gives you for the year, and tells you if it differs from the standard code for 2026/27.

Tax code

1257L

This is the standard code for 2026/27.

Your details

Your tax code

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Your tax code, part by part

Part	Meaning or yearly amount
1257	£12,579 tax-free pay
L	You get the standard tax-free Personal Allowance.

How this was worked out

1. Your standard code is 1257L for 2026/27.
2. It is built from the personal allowance: £12,570 divided by 10 gives 1257.

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How a tax code works

Your employer or pension provider uses your tax code to work out how much tax to take from each payment. HMRC sets the code and sends it to them. You can have a different code for each job or pension.

Most codes are a number followed by a letter. The number shows how much of your pay is tax-free in the year: multiply it by 10 and you are close to your tax-free amount. Payroll software adds a little more, so the standard code gives slightly more tax-free pay than the £12,570 personal allowance. The checker shows the exact figure.

The letter says why you have that amount. L is the standard allowance. M and N mean the Marriage Allowance has moved part of an allowance between a couple. T means HMRC has made other changes it needs to review.

A K at the start works the other way round. It means you have income that is not taxed anywhere else, such as a company car, and it is worth more than your allowance. Payroll adds that amount to your pay before it works out the tax.

Some codes have no number at all. BR, D0 and D1 tax everything from that job at one rate, which is common for a second job. 0T gives you no tax-free pay. NT means no tax is taken.

An S at the start means Scottish income tax rates apply, and a C means Welsh rates. HMRC decides this from where you live, not where you work.

Emergency codes

W1, M1 or X at the end of a code means an emergency code. You often get one when you start a new job without a P45, or when a new pension starts. Tax is then worked out on each payment on its own, without looking back at the rest of the tax year. You can end up paying too much for a while. When HMRC sends your employer the correct code, the tax usually corrects itself through payroll. If it does not, you can claim the overpaid tax back after the end of the year.

When to check your code

• You start a new job or a second job.
• You start getting a pension, or the State Pension.
• You get a company car, private medical cover or another taxable benefit.
• Your income goes above £100,000, where the personal allowance starts to shrink.
• You or your partner claim the Marriage Allowance.

If you think your code is wrong, check it in your personal tax account on GOV.UK or contact HMRC. Your employer cannot change it for you.

To see what a salary leaves you after tax on the standard code, use the take-home pay calculator. For a pension, use the pension take-home calculator. The income tax rates page lists every band for 2026/27.

Official guidance

• Tax codes on GOV.UK
• Check your Income Tax for the current year on GOV.UK
• Emergency tax codes on GOV.UK

Report a mistake

We will receive the page address and the tax year. We will not receive the figures you entered.

What looks wrong?

Please do not include your name or contact details. To get a reply, email [email protected] instead.

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Spotted a mistake?

Email [email protected]. Tell us the code you entered and what you expected to see. Fixed errors are listed on the corrections page.