How to read your payslip
A payslip shows what you earned, what was taken off and what you were paid. Learn to find each part.
This path is practice in how the records and the sums work. It is not tax advice. Any rate or allowance in a question is an example for that question, so check GOV.UK for the current figures.
In this room: 3 tasks, 9 questions
- What you earned and what was taken off4 questions
- The details at the top3 questions
- The year so far2 questions
A payslip is the record of one payday. Your employer must give you one on or before the day you are paid.
Maya Okafor works at Greenlatch Garden Centre and is paid once a month. This is the money part of her payslip for May.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Basic pay | 2,500.00 |
| Gross pay | 2,500.00 |
| Income tax | (300.00) |
| National Insurance | (140.00) |
| Pension | (125.00) |
| Net pay | 1,935.00 |
A figure in brackets is a deduction: money taken off before you are paid.
Answer the questions below
3 more questions follow in this task.
The top of a payslip says who is being paid, when, and how the tax was worked out.
| Detail | What it says |
|---|---|
| Employee | Maya Okafor |
| Pay date | 28 May |
| Tax period | Month 2 |
| Tax code | 1200L |
| National Insurance number | QQ 12 34 56 C |
- Tax period
- which month or week of the tax year the payday falls in. The tax year starts on 6 April, so month 1 runs from 6 April to 5 May
- Tax code
- tells your employer how much of your pay is free of income tax
- National Insurance number
- your own number, kept for life. It has two letters, six numbers and one last letter
Answer the questions below
2 more questions follow in this task.
Many payslips also show totals for the tax year so far. They are often headed Year to date.
Maya was paid £2,500 gross on 28 April and £2,500 gross on 28 May. Those are her only 2 paydays so far this tax year.
Answer the questions below
1 more question follows in this task.