Guide
Payslip Deductions Explained
Most payslip deductions fall into five buckets: tax, National Insurance, pension, student loan, and salary sacrifice.
Quick answer
If you can identify which line changed, you can usually work out why the net pay changed.
What to check
- PAYE tax depends heavily on the tax code and tax year.
- NI uses different thresholds from income tax.
- Salary sacrifice reduces cash pay before some deductions, but EV schemes can still create BIK tax.
What to do next
- Compare the deduction lines with the checker output.
- Use the calculator if you want to model changes before the next payslip.
- Check the salary-sacrifice guide if an employer benefit has started.
Try the tool
Use the checker if you already have a payslip. Use the calculator if you want to model take-home pay or salary-sacrifice changes before payday.