Every UK tax code, actually explained.
Your tax code tells your employer how much tax-free pay you get and which rates to apply — get it wrong and every payslip is wrong. Decode yours below.
Look up your tax code
Type the code from your payslip — we’ll decode it as you type.
Parsed as: 1257L (£12,570 allowance, England & NI)
The most-searched codes
1257L
The standard code for 2025/26 — a £12,570 tax-free personal allowance, applied evenly across the year.
Decode itEmergency tax (W1/M1/X)
Usually a 1257L code with a W1, M1 or X suffix — each payday taxed in isolation until HMRC confirms your details.
Decode itBR
Basic Rate on everything: 20% from the first pound, no personal allowance — normal for second jobs and pensions.
Decode it0T
Zero allowance, but normal bands: 20%, then 40%, then 45% — from the very first pound you earn.
Decode itScottish tax codes (S)
An S at the front of your code means Scottish rates: six bands from 19% to 48% in 2025/26.
Decode itK codes
The code that works in reverse: instead of tax-free pay, a K code adds to your taxable income.
Decode itW1 / M1 / X
Suffixes, not codes: W1 (weekly), M1 (monthly) and X switch off the year-to-date calculation.
Decode itD0
Higher Rate on everything: a flat 40% with no allowance — the second-job code for higher earners.
Decode itD1
Additional Rate on everything: a flat 45% for second incomes of the highest earners.
Decode itNT
The unicorn: NT means no income tax is deducted from this income at all — NI still applies.
Decode itWelsh tax codes (C)
A C at the front (for Cymru) marks Welsh rates — which currently mirror England's exactly.
Decode itA–Z reference
Every code we cover, grouped by how it behaves.
Standard codes
| Code | Personal allowance | Region | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1257L | £12,570 | England, NI & Wales | The standard code for 2025/26 — a £12,570 tax-free personal allowance, applied evenly across the year. |
Flat-rate and no-allowance codes
| Code | Personal allowance | Region | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| BR | £0 against this income | England, NI & Wales | Basic Rate on everything: 20% from the first pound, no personal allowance — normal for second jobs and pensions. |
| 0T | £0 against this income | England, NI & Wales | Zero allowance, but normal bands: 20%, then 40%, then 45% — from the very first pound you earn. |
| D0 | £0 against this income | England, NI & Wales | Higher Rate on everything: a flat 40% with no allowance — the second-job code for higher earners. |
| D1 | £0 against this income | England, NI & Wales | Additional Rate on everything: a flat 45% for second incomes of the highest earners. |
| NT | Not applicable — no tax is calculated at all | All UK regions | The unicorn: NT means no income tax is deducted from this income at all — NI still applies. |
Adjustment codes
| Code | Personal allowance | Region | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| K codes | Negative — K number × 10 is ADDED to taxable pay | All UK regions | The code that works in reverse: instead of tax-free pay, a K code adds to your taxable income. |
Non-cumulative and emergency
| Code | Personal allowance | Region | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency tax (W1/M1/X) | £12,570 | All UK regions | Usually a 1257L code with a W1, M1 or X suffix — each payday taxed in isolation until HMRC confirms your details. |
| W1 / M1 / X | Your code's allowance, one period-slice at a time | All UK regions | Suffixes, not codes: W1 (weekly), M1 (monthly) and X switch off the year-to-date calculation. |
Regional prefixes
| Code | Personal allowance | Region | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish tax codes (S) | £12,570 | Scotland | An S at the front of your code means Scottish rates: six bands from 19% to 48% in 2025/26. |
| Welsh tax codes (C) | £12,570 | Wales | A C at the front (for Cymru) marks Welsh rates — which currently mirror England's exactly. |
Source: tax codes — gov.uk