How this was calculated
We add your overtime to your salary and tax the extra at your marginal rate — your top Income Tax band plus employee National Insurance for 2026/27 — then show what you keep. The "marginal rate" is the rate on your next pound, which is exactly the rate your overtime is taxed at.
The full method and every source is on our methodology page.
Built & maintained by the Pay Packet team · methodology sourced from HMRC · last reviewed 21 June 2026.
About our figures →
Marginal rate, not a magic overtime rate
When people say overtime is "taxed more", what they have noticed is real but misread. Your overtime is added to your income for the year and taxed at your marginal rate — the rate that applies to your next pound of earnings. It is the same rate the top slice of your normal salary is already taxed at; overtime simply hands you more of that top slice.
- Basic-rate worker (under £50,270): overtime is taxed at 28% — 20% Income Tax + 8% National Insurance. You keep about 72%.
- Higher-rate worker (over £50,270): the part above the threshold is taxed at 42% — 40% + 2%. You keep about 58%.
On a £30,000 salary, £2,000 of overtime keeps you £1,440. On £60,000, £3,000 of overtime keeps you £1,740 — the difference is the band you are in, not a penalty on overtime itself.
Why one payslip can look brutal
If a single month of heavy overtime looks savagely taxed, that is PAYE, not a higher rate. The payroll system spreads your tax-free allowance evenly across the year and can briefly treat a one-off spike as if you will earn it every month — so it over-deducts that month and corrects later, or you reclaim it. Over the year it evens out, which is what this page (and the overtime calculator) shows.
When overtime really does cost more
Two genuine traps push the rate above 42%: a student loan adds 9% (6% postgraduate), and earnings between £100,000 and £125,140 withdraw your Personal Allowance for an effective 60%+. If your overtime lands in either zone, paying it into a pension by salary sacrifice can be worth far more than taking the cash.
Overtime tax questions
- Is overtime taxed at a higher rate?
- No. There is no separate overtime tax. Overtime is added to your pay for the year and taxed at your marginal rate — the rate on your top slice of income. For a basic-rate worker that is 28% (20% tax + 8% NI); cross £50,270 and the part above is 42% (40% + 2%).
- Why was my overtime taxed so much in one payslip?
- PAYE spreads your allowances evenly across the year and can briefly assume a one-off spike is your new monthly norm, over-taxing that month. It corrects itself over the following months or through a refund, so your annual position is the honest one.
- Will overtime push all my pay into a higher band?
- No — only the slice above each threshold is taxed at the higher rate, never your whole income. If overtime tips you over £50,270, just the part above is taxed at 40%; everything below keeps its lower rates.
- Can overtime cost me more than 42%?
- Yes, in two zones: a student loan adds 9%, and earnings between £100,000 and £125,140 lose Personal Allowance for an effective 60%+ on that band. Outside those, the most overtime is taxed is 42% (47% in the additional-rate band).
Guidance for 2026/27, not personal tax advice. Marginal rates assume a standard tax code, England/Wales/NI; Scotland’s bands differ. Always check your payslip and gov.uk/HMRC.