£120,000 salary: £20,000 into the 62% trap
On £120,000 you take home £76,157 a year (£6,346 a month). Getting back under £100,000 means sacrificing £20,000, 16.7% of your salary; the trap ends £5,140 further up, at £125,140.
- On the next £1,000
- 62%you keep £380
- Take-home
- £76,157a year
- A month
- £6,346
- Over £100,000
- £20,000
What's different at £120,000
The things that only apply at this salary, worked out with its numbers.
- 1
£20,000 is 16.7% of your salary (£1,667 a month). Afterwards you'd take home £68,557 a year, the same as anyone on £100,000.
- 2
You don't have to do all of it. Every pound you sacrifice in this band saves 62%; it's only the childcare that needs you to get all the way under.
- 3
With one child under 3, getting under also keeps £10,550 of childcare support: £22,950 better off overall, counting the pension.
- 4
Salary sacrifice lowers your contractual salary, so check how a lender would see it if you're applying for a mortgage.
Make it yours
£120,000 is filled in. Add your pension, a bonus or the children, and every number updates.
Your household
Results update as you type. One earner; England, Wales or Northern Ireland rules, 2026-27.
Your result
Your marginal rate
62%of the next £1,000
Sacrifice £20,000 a year (£1,667 a month) into your pension to get back to £100,000.
Of the next £1,000 of gross salary, £380 remains after income tax, employee NI and any Child Benefit charge. This includes any tax-band crossing; childcare is shown separately.
- Marginal rate
- 62%of the next £1,000
You keep £380 of it.
- Sacrifice to reach £100k
- £20,000a year
£1,667 a month; £22,000 with a £2k buffer.
- Better off overall
- +£12,400a year
Take-home −£7,600; pension +£20,000.
What you keep if you sacrifice £20,000
- Take-home change
- −£7,600
- Tax and NI saved
- +£12,400
- Pension gained
- +£20,000
- Better off overall
- +£12,400
Show the working
| Line | Now | After |
|---|---|---|
Gross pay Salary plus bonus for the tax year. | £120,000 | £120,000 |
Adjusted net income (ANI) The figure HMRC uses for the £100k tests: taxable income after pension contributions and Gift Aid. GOV.UK | £120,000 | £100,000 |
Personal allowance Reduced by £1 for every £2 of ANI over £100,000. GOV.UK | £2,570 | £12,570 |
Income tax 20% / 40% / 45% on income above your personal allowance. GOV.UK | −£39,432 | −£27,432 |
National Insurance 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2%. GOV.UK | −£4,411 | −£4,011 |
Take-home pay What lands in the bank from pay. | £76,157 | £68,557 |
Tax year 2026-27. How we calculate. Guidance, not financial advice.
Pension comparisons assume contributions qualify for relief. Annual allowances, employer contributions, earnings limits and minimum wage restrictions are not checked. Model limits.
£120,000 salary, no pension, no children under 5. Adjusted net income £120,000.
Take the £20,000 plan with you.
One email with your numbers: the £20,000 a year, the £1,667 a month, the working line by line, and what to ask payroll for.
Scenarios at £120,000
Children under 5, a buffer under the line, and what a rise from here is worth.
By children under 5
| Children under 5 | Cash a year | Child Benefit charge | Childcare support kept | Sacrifice to £100k | Better off after it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | £76,157 | — | — | £20,000 | +£12,400 |
| One child | £76,157 | −£1,407 | £0 | £20,000 | +£22,950 |
| 2 children | £76,157 | −£2,337 | £0 | £20,000 | +£33,500 |
Cash is take-home plus Child Benefit less the charge. For the example children aged 9 months to 2, childcare support is £0 while adjusted net income is over £100,000; the sacrifice brings it back, and the pension money stays yours.
Buffers under £100,000
| Target | Sacrifice a year | A month | Take-home change | Into your pension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £100,000 exactly | £20,000 | £1,667 | −£7,600 | +£20,000 |
| £98,000 (£2,000 buffer) | £22,000 | £1,833 | −£8,760 | +£22,000 |
| £95,000 (£5,000 buffer) | £25,000 | £2,083 | −£10,500 | +£25,000 |
A buffer covers income you can't control before 5 April: a bonus, savings interest, a benefit in kind. Through a personal pension instead, pay in 80% of the sacrifice and the provider grosses it up.
Your next £1,000, £5,000 and £10,000
| Extra salary | Kept, no children | Kept, one child under 5 |
|---|---|---|
| +£1,000 | £380 (38%) | £380 (38%) |
| +£5,000 | £1,900 (38%) | £1,900 (38%) |
| +£10,000 | £4,529 (45.3%) | £4,529 (45.3%) |
After income tax, NI and the Child Benefit charge. The one-child column also counts childcare support lost or kept when the extra crosses £100,000, which is why it can go negative.
Where £120,000 sits
The rate on each extra £1,000 of salary from £50,000 to £150,000, with this salary marked.
Show the working for £120,000
| Line | Now |
|---|---|
Gross pay Salary plus bonus for the tax year. | £120,000 |
Adjusted net income (ANI) The figure HMRC uses for the £100k tests: taxable income after pension contributions and Gift Aid. GOV.UK | £120,000 |
Personal allowance Reduced by £1 for every £2 of ANI over £100,000. GOV.UK | £2,570 |
Income tax 20% / 40% / 45% on income above your personal allowance. GOV.UK | −£39,432 |
National Insurance 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, then 2%. GOV.UK | −£4,411 |
Take-home pay What lands in the bank from pay. | £76,157 |
Tax year 2026-27. How we calculate. Guidance, not financial advice.
Questions at £120,000
How much is £120,000 after tax?
How much do I need to sacrifice to get under £100k on £120,000?
What if I can't sacrifice the full £20,000?
Is it worth it?
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Assumptions
One earner, England, Wales or Northern Ireland rules for 2026-27, salary only, no pension and no student loan. Childcare figures assume each child is 9 months to 2 years old and in nursery enough to use the full Tax-Free Childcare top-up; funded hours are valued at £7.50 an hour. These are England childcare scenarios assuming all other eligibility conditions are met. Children with universal 15 hours retain those hours above £100,000; use the calculator to include them.
All salaries · How we calculate. Guidance, not financial advice.
Your own number takes two minutes.
£120,000 flat is the starting point. Add your pension, a bonus or the children above and the working updates line by line. Your personal inputs stay in this browser tab.