
Free Tax Code Calculator
Check if you're owed a tax rebate
It looks like an innocuous set of digits, but your tax code can have a big impact on your finances. Every year, many people are hit by errors – and some are due £1,000s back. Use our Tax Code Calculator to check you're on the right tax code, and read our guide for how to handle underpaid and overpaid tax.
The Tax Code Calculator

If you already know your tax code, use our calculator below to get a ROUGH idea of whether it's correct (it's impossible to be exact). If it seems wrong, it could be worth taking action to check whether you're owed (or owe) cash.
Don't know your code? The rest of this guide explains how you can find it, and what to do if you think your tax code is wrong.
Got one employer, no work perks, live in England/NI and earn under £100,000? Your 2020/21 code should be 1250L.
If you've been furloughed or you've been made redundant from a job due to coronavirus, we've added some help to guide who might need to check their tax code because of this.
Coronavirus and your tax code
It's an unsettling time for many, and the coronavirus crisis means changes to our work, whether that's being furloughed and potentially adapting to a lower salary, having to stop work as you can't run your business or being made redundant from your job.
Whether these changes are something you need to let HMRC know about, or mean you need to keep an eye on your tax code or the amount of tax you're paying will depend on your circumstances.
Tip Email
FREE Weekly MoneySaving email
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today - it’s spam free!
What's a tax code?
Before we start explaining what a tax code is, it's important to understand that not everyone has one.
Who has a tax code?
Full or part-time employees
Those receiving a private pension
Who doesn't?
Fully self-employed or unemployed people
Those ONLY receiving a state pension
On the face of it, a tax code is a dull and harmless series of numbers and letters – 1250L, S1250L, C1250L, BR and K497 are just some examples for the current tax year.
But these hieroglyphics are used by your employer to calculate the amount of tax that should be deducted from your wages or pension before they hit your bank account.
Therefore if you pay tax through the pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) system, the tax code tells your employer or pension provider what it should take – and even small errors can lead to mistakes of £100s.
So the aim here is to find your tax code and decipher what it means, to see if it's correct.
Quick questions

Tip Email
FREE Weekly MoneySaving email
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today - it’s spam free!
How do I find my tax code?
Taking on your tax code is not an appealing task for even the most dedicated MoneySavers. But it doesn't have to be that gruelling.
Your tax code is listed on your 'coding notice', payslips or P45s. The most important thing to remember is...
Each income source (job, private pension) will have different tax codes. Check 'em all!
Here are the best places to look for your tax code...
Tax codes are made up of two main elements, which determine the amount of tax your employer will take. If you work for multiple employers (or work and also draw a pension), you'll have more than one code.
Here's an example of a common tax code for the new tax year (similar ones for past years include 1185L and 1150L). It will usually be made up of numbers and letters:

In the majority of cases, these numbers will be followed by a letter. And this letter will vary according to your particular circumstances.
Possible differences in your code
The HMRC slogan that "tax doesn't have to be taxing" is well intentioned, but rarely true. If your code's not the standard 1250L, click on the following statements for an explanation of how your situation differs – it may explain any discrepancies in the code. There's lots of extra info on Gov.uk too.
Think your tax code's wrong?
Now you understand what your tax code means, you'll be able to assess whether it's likely to be correct for your earnings, age and situation. If your tax code doesn't look right, it probably isn't.
The onus is on you to get on the right tax code. We now have two possible scenarios, and one is much more fun than the other.
But don't panic...
- If you have overpaid tax, the money will come back to you.
- And if you have underpaid, not only do debtors' prisons no longer exist, you probably won't have to pay it back all in one go either.
People have used this guide to reclaim up to £11,500
Since launching this guide in late 2010, we've heard of many MoneySavers who reclaimed money after realising they were on the wrong code. Here are two for inspiration...
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. You recently stressed the importance of checking your tax code. I had never done this before, but you gave me the confidence to do it.
After I was recently made redundant, I got my P45 and phoned HMRC. I said 'Look, can you just check this for me?' They checked a couple of things, said 'Can you stay on the line?', then said 'We owe you £11,486 – how would you like it paid?' The cheque arrived 10 days later.
I had just trusted the amount of money HMRC had taken off my redundancy pay – then my instinct kicked in after your warnings. This success has allowed us to clear our debts and plan for the future. I am so grateful. I just want one person who reads this to pick up the phone to HMRC and have the belief to do it.
Tina, via email
Following your guidance, I checked my tax code and found that I have been overpaying my personal tax. I've now received confirmation of my tax refund for £2,240. Fantastic result.
Morag, via email
Please report successes/failures getting money back in the Tax Code Calculator successes forum discussion.

Keep an eye on future codes

With any luck, once you have established the right tax code, it'll all be sorted with HMRC from then on, unravelling the web of complexity surrounding tax codes and what you ultimately should be paying. Yet don't bank on it...
Small changes can change your code
Every time your circumstances change – whether it's a promotion at work with a larger salary, new employee benefits, taking on another job, giving up work to have children or leaving the country and the UK tax system altogether – your tax code may change, so it can be worth getting in touch with HMRC to establish your new tax code.
A phone call today can save an awful lot of hassle and expense in future...
Tip Email
FREE Weekly MoneySaving email
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today - it’s spam free!

Spotted out of date info/broken links? Email: brokenlink@moneysavingexpert.com
Clever ways to calculate your finances