What is my take-home if I am self-employed?

It is your profit after Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance — there is no Class 2 to pay. Unlike an employee, nothing is deducted at source: you receive the full amount as you invoice it, then settle the tax through Self Assessment. Setting aside roughly 25–30% of profit as you go usually covers it.

Do the self-employed take home more than employees?

On the same money, slightly — because Class 4 National Insurance (6% then 2%) is lower than an employee’s Class 1 (8% then 2%). The trade-off is no holiday pay, sick pay, employer pension contributions or notice period, so the headline difference is not the whole story.

How should I budget when the tax is not taken automatically?

Because nothing is deducted at source, the discipline is yours. Many self-employed people move 25–30% of every payment into a separate tax account, and remember the January bill can include a payment on account towards the next year. Our Self Assessment calculator shows the dates and amounts.

Is the profit before or after expenses?

After. Enter your profit — your income once allowable expenses are taken off. If you are not sure of your expenses, work them out first with the self-employed expenses calculator.

Self-employed take-home pay calculator 2026/27

No payslip, no deductions at source — just your profit and the tax you settle later. Enter your profit to see what you actually keep each year, month or week, and how it compares with being an employee on the same money.

Annual profit

Income after allowable expenses.

Where you live

Show take-home per

2026/27. Profit only, before any pension contribution.

From £35,000 profit

2026/27

Income Tax: −£374
Class 4 National Insurance: −£112

Monthly take-home

£29,168 a year

£2,431

On the same money, you keep £449 a year more than an employee — the self-employed pay less National Insurance.

Verified · 2026/27
21 June 2026

How this was calculated

We take your profit, apply your Personal Allowance and the Income Tax bands for your region, then Class 4 National Insurance (6% from £12,570 to £50,270, 2% above). Class 2 is £0. What is left is your take-home, which we show per year, month or week. For comparison we run the same figure through the employee calculator — the self-employed keep a little more because Class 4 NI is lower than an employee’s Class 1. Rates are traced to dated gov.uk sources for 2026/27.

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 →

What “take-home” means without a payslip

Employees see tax disappear before the money ever reaches them. When you are self-employed it is the opposite — you receive your full invoices, then pay the tax later through Self Assessment. Your real take-home is your profit after Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance; there is no Class 2 to pay.

Because the tax is not automatic, the figure above is what you can keep — but only if you have set it aside. A common rule of thumb is to move 25–30% of each payment into a separate account for tax. On the same money the self-employed keep a little more than employees, since Class 4 NI is 6% where an employee pays 8%; against that, you have no holiday pay, sick pay or employer pension, so compare the whole package, not just the headline.

Need the full breakdown and your tax bill? Use the sole trader tax calculator. Working out your costs first? The expenses calculator turns income into profit. Also have a job? The employed and self-employed calculator combines the two.

Self-employed take-home questions

What is my take-home if I am self-employed?: It is your profit after Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance — there is no Class 2 to pay. Unlike an employee, nothing is deducted at source: you receive the full amount as you invoice it, then settle the tax through Self Assessment. Setting aside roughly 25–30% of profit as you go usually covers it.
Do the self-employed take home more than employees?: On the same money, slightly — because Class 4 National Insurance (6% then 2%) is lower than an employee’s Class 1 (8% then 2%). The trade-off is no holiday pay, sick pay, employer pension contributions or notice period, so the headline difference is not the whole story.
How should I budget when the tax is not taken automatically?: Because nothing is deducted at source, the discipline is yours. Many self-employed people move 25–30% of every payment into a separate tax account, and remember the January bill can include a payment on account towards the next year. Our Self Assessment calculator shows the dates and amounts.
Is the profit before or after expenses?: After. Enter your profit — your income once allowable expenses are taken off. If you are not sure of your expenses, work them out first with the self-employed expenses calculator.

An estimate for the 2026/27 tax year — guidance, not personal tax advice. Figures assume trading profit only, a standard Personal Allowance and no pension; the employee comparison ignores non-pay benefits such as holiday and sick pay. Always check the detail with gov.uk/HMRC.