£100k Trap Calculator
Enter your gross salary and current pension contribution. In under 5 seconds you'll see if you're paying HMRC's 62% marginal rate — plus the exact amount to sacrifice into pension to escape it. Free personalised PDF plan — no email required. UK 2024/25, rest-of-UK bands.
Salary sacrifice reduces both Income Tax and NI. Net pay reduces tax only. Relief-at-source means the grossed-up contribution (× 1.25) reduces ANI, but the trap escape £ needed is higher because you pay it from post-tax income first.
Advanced — other sacrifice, benefits, other income
Your escape plan
Sacrifice an extra £9,250 per year into your workplace pension. That drops your ANI to £100,000, restoring your full Personal Allowance.
This calculator uses UK 2024/25 rest-of-UK bands. It ignores blind person's allowance, marriage allowance transfers, and Scottish rates. Not personal financial advice.
How the 62% marginal rate is built
Between £100,000 and £125,140 of adjusted net income, three things stack up on your next £1 of pay:
- 40% Income Tax — you're already in the higher-rate band.
- +20% from the PA taper — you lose 50p of Personal Allowance per £1 earned. That 50p was previously tax-free but is now taxed at 40%, so it costs you an extra 20p per £1.
- +2% Class 1 NI — the employee NI upper rate.
Total: 62p out of every extra £1. Above £125,140 the taper is done and additional-rate kicks in — the marginal drops back to 47% (45% + 2%).
Why pension sacrifice is the sharpest escape lever
Salary sacrifice reduces your gross for both tax and NI purposes. In the trap zone, every £1 sacrificed:
- Puts £1 into your pension pot (plus, at many employers, an NI rebate on top).
- Reduces your take-home by only 38p.
- Restores 50p of Personal Allowance.
You can't get a better transfer than that anywhere else in UK personal finance. This is the trap turned into an opportunity.
Want this maths on every option?
Bonus sacrifice, SIPP top-ups, VCT, Gift Aid, bonus deferral: the £100k Trap Escape Toolkit is a 6-sheet Excel workbook with all of it modelled side-by-side, using your salary. £19 one-off, 7-day refund, free 2025/26 update.
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Related on CalcOrchard
- Free playbook: 12 legal moves to beat the £100k trap
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- UK take-home pay calculator
- Salary sacrifice calculator
- SIPP tax relief calculator
- Pay-rise comparison hub
FAQ
Why does the escape target £99,500 instead of £100,000?
The £100k threshold isn't just where the 62% taper starts — it's also the cliff-edge for High Income Child Benefit Charge and Tax-Free Childcare eligibility. A single pay rise, savings-interest bump or dividend into the taper can wipe out thousands in benefits. Aiming for £99,500 ANI gives a £500 buffer that absorbs those normal in-year variations without you having to re-run the maths every quarter.
Does the pension scheme type matter?
Yes — a lot. Salary sacrifice reduces your gross salary, so it lowers both Income Tax and NI (and directly reduces ANI £-for-£). Net pay is deducted pre-tax by payroll but AFTER NI is calculated, so no NI saving. Relief at source means you pay from your take-home; the provider adds 20% basic-rate relief, and higher/additional rate is reclaimed via self-assessment — the ANI reduction is the grossed-up amount (contribution × 1.25). This calculator lets you switch between all three.
What about bank interest, dividends and BIK?
All of them count toward Adjusted Net Income, even if they fall inside the £1,000 Personal Savings Allowance or £500 dividend allowance (the tax-free bit is still taxable income for taper purposes). Use the Advanced section to add them — they push your ANI up and can move you into or out of the 62% zone.
How does the £100k trap actually work?
Above £100,000 adjusted net income (ANI), HMRC withdraws your £12,570 Personal Allowance by £1 for every £2 you earn — it's gone by £125,140. On that slice you pay 40% Income Tax plus you lose 40% tax relief on the PA that's being withdrawn, giving an effective 60% marginal rate on income tax alone. Add 2% employee NI and you're at 62% on every extra pound.
What counts as adjusted net income (ANI)?
It's your total taxable income minus grossed-up personal pension contributions, Gift Aid, and trading losses. Salary sacrifice into a workplace pension reduces your gross salary itself — so it reduces ANI directly, £-for-£. That's why pension sacrifice is the fastest escape route: every £2 sacrificed restores £1 of Personal Allowance.
Do bonuses and RSUs count?
Yes. All employment income (salary + cash bonus + vested RSUs at market value + benefits-in-kind) counts towards ANI. If you're borderline in-trap without a bonus but firmly in-trap with one, the bonus month is when to sacrifice most.
Does this include Scottish income tax?
No — this uses rest-of-UK bands (basic 20%, higher 40%, additional 45%). The PA taper mechanic is UK-wide, but the underlying tax rates differ in Scotland. National Insurance is UK-wide.
Is this financial advice?
No. It's a calculator for education and planning. Confirm your specific position with a chartered accountant or FCA-regulated Independent Financial Adviser before making changes.