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IsMyPayRight

Updated for the 2026/27 tax year.

Payslip checker

Check your pay before you chase payroll.

Enter the figures from your latest payslip. We’ll check the main deductions against the official HMRC rates and show you what to review next.

  • Enter the figures from your payslip.
  • Check PAYE, NI, and net pay against HMRC rates.
  • Handle salary sacrifice, benefits in kind, and extra deductions when needed.
Compare two payslips →See how we calculate PAYE and NI →Read our privacy policy →Check service status →

What you get back

An estimate for tax, National Insurance and net pay, plus a separate check that your payslip arithmetic adds up. We do not use year-to-date pay or verify your pension scheme.

Main fields

Start with the figures most payslips show clearly.

You will need gross pay, PAYE tax, employee National Insurance and net pay for one pay period. Enter 0 where no tax or NI was deducted. Check the tax code against your payslip, then add any pension, student loan or advanced deductions shown.

The example replaces the form with illustrative figures.

Choose the tax year shown on your payslip

Choose the pay period for this payslip

Use the positive earnings total before PAYE and NI

Found on your payslip or P45

1257L is a common tax code

Your employer normally uses your pay and Income Tax already paid since 6 April to work out the tax on this payslip. This is called “cumulative” tax. A change to your pay, pension or student loan deductions can also change what you take home.

Enter 0 if no PAYE tax was deducted

Enter 0 if no employee NI was deducted

The amount paid into your bank, including 0 if nothing was paid

Pension and student loan deductions (if shown on your payslip)

Leave blank if your pension is salary sacrifice

Net pay reduces income tax, not NI. Enter salary sacrifice only in the advanced section, not twice.

Check with the Student Loans Company (SLC) if unsure

Check that the figures above match your payslip. Add any extra pre-tax lines, tax-only benefits or after-tax deductions in the advanced section below.

My payslip has more going on

Salary sacrifice, benefits in kind, or extra deductions

If you are unsure, leave it off and start simple.

How it works

Three steps from payslip to answer.

1

Enter your payslip figures

Enter the key figures from your payslip for one pay period.

2

We check against HMRC rates

Your figures are compared line by line against official tax and NI thresholds.

3

See what to review

See differences against an estimate, with possible explanations and next steps.

Core tools

Start with the main tools.

The checker compares your payslip’s main figures with an estimate. If you are planning ahead, comparing offers, or dealing with variable income, use one of the core calculators below.

Is this job offer actually better?

Compare cash after commuting and the time each role takes.

Open tool →

Is my pay keeping up with prices?

Check real pay against the latest verified ONS CPI release.

Open tool →

Am I near a tax threshold?

Explore tapers, marginal rates and bonus exposure.

Open tool →

Take-home pay calculator

Model annual pay, pension, and salary sacrifice choices.

Open tool →

Compare two salaries

See what a raise, new role, or variable pay actually changes.

Open tool →

Reverse tax calculator

Work backwards from a target take-home figure.

Open tool →

Flagship guides

Read next if something looks wrong.

Start with the practical explanations that answer the most common checker outcomes, especially for commission, emergency tax, and tax-code changes.

Why you can trust the checker

The payslip checker uses the same HMRC-based engine as the calculator and is designed to show the path from gross pay to net pay rather than just give a black-box verdict.

  • Updated for the 2026/27 tax year and current PAYE thresholds
  • Explains tax code, NI, salary sacrifice, and extra deduction effects in one flow
  • Methodology page shows what is modelled directly and where estimates stop short of payroll-perfect reconstruction
View methodology →About IsMyPayRight →

Common next steps after a payslip mismatch

Use these guides when the numbers look wrong but you still need to identify whether the real issue is the tax code, emergency treatment, or a deduction line.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check if my payslip is correct?
Enter your gross pay, pay frequency, PAYE tax, National Insurance, and net pay from your latest payslip into our free checker. We compare each figure against HMRC rates for the selected tax year and pay period, then flag any discrepancies with possible reasons and suggested actions.
Why might my PAYE tax be wrong?
Common reasons include an incorrect tax code, emergency tax being applied, underpayments from previous years being collected via your code, taxable benefits such as a company car, or a mid-year tax code change. Always check the tax code on your payslip matches the one HMRC has on record.
What should I do if I’ve overpaid tax?
Check your tax code and employment details in your HMRC Personal Tax Account. If they are wrong, ask HMRC to review them. A corrected cumulative code can repay an overpayment through payroll, but the timing and refund route depend on your circumstances; a code change does not guarantee a refund on the next payslip.
What is an emergency tax code?
W1, M1, X or NONCUM means tax is calculated using only the current pay period, without earlier pay and tax in that year. A code such as 1257L M1 still gives the period’s share of its tax-free allowance. Emergency treatment can produce too much or too little tax, especially when pay varies.
How accurate is the payslip checker?
The checker uses HMRC rates and thresholds for the selected tax year and pay frequency, but does not use year-to-date payroll history. It cannot reproduce cumulative PAYE exactly. Differences can reflect legitimate tax adjustments, rounding, pension treatment or benefits. Use a mismatch as a prompt to check the details with payroll, not as proof of an error.