A self-employed sole trader with £30,000 of profit in the UK for 2026/27 takes home approximately £25,020/year (£2,085/month) after tax + NI. The maths: personal allowance covers £12,570 tax-free; £17,430 is taxed at basic rate 20% (£3,486); Class 4 NI is 6% on profits between £12,570-£50,270 = £1,048; Class 2 NI is minor (£3.45/week × 52 = £179 if profits exceed £6,725). Total deductions: ~£4,713. This is roughly £100/year less than the PAYE equivalent take-home (£25,120) because Class 4 NI slightly exceeds employee Class 1 NI at this profit level.
Verified against 3 official sources · Last reviewed 14 June 2026
Self-employed slightly wins at £30k because Class 4 NI (6%) is lower than employee Class 1 (8%) on the same slice.
Payments on account
31 January + 31 July deadlines. Self-Assessment payment on account rules: if last year's SA bill was £1,000+, you pay 50% up front for the year ahead, 50% again in July.
Set aside for tax
Standard advice: 25-30% of profit into a savings account for Self Assessment. On £30k profit that's £7,500-£9,000/year.
In short
£30,000 UK self-employed profit takes home ~£25,287 net. Slightly more than PAYE equivalent because Class 4 NI is 2 percentage points lower than Class 1.
Frequently asked questions
How much tax on £30k self-employed?
About £3,486 Income Tax + £1,227 NI = £4,713 total. Take-home ~£25,287.
Do I pay more or less tax than PAYE?
Slightly less at £30k — Class 4 NI is 6% vs Class 1 employee 8%.
When are payments due?
31 January (balancing payment + first payment on account) + 31 July (second payment on account).
How much should I set aside for tax?
25-30% of profit into a savings account for the tax bill.
Do I need to file Self Assessment?
Yes — sole traders file SA annually. Registration required if profit > £1,000/year from self-employment.
How to become self-employed — UK self-employment in 2026 in six steps: choose structure (sole trader or limited company), register with HMRC (£0 sole trader, £12 limited), open business account, set up accounting, plan tax + NI, check IR35 if contracting. Setup typically 1-2 weeks.
Self-employed vs employed — Same UK gross income, different take-home. Self-employed via limited company typically nets 15-25% more than employee at £50k+ once IR35-outside. But loses pension match, sick pay, paid holiday, share schemes, employment rights. The right choice depends on income level + risk tolerance.
How to read a payslip — A UK payslip has up to 20+ separate lines, each with a specific
Why take-home varies — UK monthly take-home rarely sits exactly flat even on a steady
UK monthly budget planner — A workable UK monthly budget planner: confirm your real net pay, list fixed essentials, list variable essentials, set a discretionary cap, set a savings target. Total must equal net pay. Use 50/30/20 as a starting guide, adapt for your housing situation.
Average UK monthly bills — UK average monthly bills in 2026: ~£1,650 for a single adult, £2,400 for a couple, £3,200 for a family of four. Major lines: rent/mortgage (35–45%), food (10–15%), utilities (8–10%), transport (10–15%), insurance + tax + broadband (~10%).
Money left after bills — UK households should target 20–35% of take-home pay as discretionary spend + savings after essential bills. The exact figure depends on salary band, region and household type. This guide gives benchmarks for £25k–£100k earners.
More on related topics
Married couple £100k combined — £100,000 UK combined married couple (£50k + £50k) takes home ~£79,040/year. Neither spouse triggers the £100k personal allowance taper. Splitting equally is substantially better than single-earner £100k (£66,253 net).
Married couple £50k combined — A married couple with £50,000 combined income (£30k + £20k) takes home ~£43,460/year vs single-earner £39,520 at £50k. Two personal allowances used + lower band structure = £3,940/year advantage.
Part-time salary tax — UK part-time workers get the full £12,570 personal allowance same as full-time. £15,000 part-time salary takes home ~£13,800/year (much of it tax-free); £20,000 part-time = ~£18,140 net.
For the calculation methodology behind every figure on this page, see our
methodology. For our review and update process, see our
editorial standards.
Last reviewed: 14 June 2026.
Next review due 14 December 2026.
Disclaimer: This page provides general information based on published HMRC and gov.scot figures. It is not personal tax or financial advice. For your specific situation, please consult a qualified accountant or contact HMRC directly.