Tax year 2026
Frequently asked questions
Short answers about how our calculators work, where the numbers come from and what each country includes.
What does PayAfterTaxCalc calculate?
It estimates your annual take-home pay after income tax and the mandatory payroll contributions that apply to employees in each country: for example Social Security and Medicare in the United States, CPP and EI in Canada, National Insurance in the United Kingdom, the Medicare levy in Australia, USC and PRSI in Ireland, and the ACC earners levy in New Zealand. Every line is shown separately so you can see where the money goes.
Which tax year do the calculators use?
All six calculators use the tax year that starts in 2026. In the United States, Canada and Ireland that is the 2026 calendar year. In the United Kingdom it is 2026/27 (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027), in Australia 2026-27 (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027) and in New Zealand 2026-27 (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027).
Where do your rates come from?
Every rate, band and threshold comes from a government publication such as the IRS, the CRA, HMRC, the ATO, Irish Revenue or New Zealand Inland Revenue. The official sources page lists each publication with its effective date and the date we last verified it.
Are the results exact?
No. They are estimates for a typical employee and are not tax advice. Your real pay can differ because of your tax code or withholding form, benefits, other income, the timing of pay periods and deductions we do not model. Each calculator page lists what is and is not included.
Do you save the income figures I enter?
No. Calculations run on our server so the tax rules stay in one place, but the figures you enter are not saved. The privacy policy explains this in more detail.
Does the UK calculator cover Scotland?
Yes. You can choose England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland, and Scotland uses its own Income Tax bands. National Insurance is the same across the whole United Kingdom. The UK calculator does not include student loan repayments, pension tax relief or itemised deductions.
Does the Australian calculator include superannuation?
Employer superannuation is paid on top of your salary and is not deducted from it, so it does not reduce the take-home figure. If you salary sacrifice extra into super, enter it as a retirement contribution, which lowers your taxable income.
Are the Australian Medicare levy thresholds for 2026-27?
The Australian Taxation Office had only published the low-income Medicare levy thresholds for 2025-26 when we last verified them in October 2026, so the Australian calculator uses those figures provisionally. This only affects incomes in the low range where the levy is reduced, and we will update the figures once the ATO publishes the new ones.
Why is Irish PRSI shown as a blended rate?
Employee PRSI rose from 4.2% to 4.35% on 1 October 2026. Because the Irish tax year is the calendar year, our annual estimate blends the two rates across the full year, assuming steady pay.
What does the New Zealand calculator leave out?
It covers PAYE income tax and the ACC earners levy. It does not include student loan repayments, the Independent Earner Tax Credit, secondary tax codes or Working for Families. KiwiSaver contributions come off your pay after tax, so they reduce take-home pay without reducing your income tax.
How do I report a mistake?
Tell us through the contact page. Our corrections policy explains how we review reports, and the change log on the official sources page records what we have checked and corrected.
Want more detail? Read our methodology, browse the official sources, check the glossary or contact us.