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UK Savings Interest Tax Calculator

Estimate the tax due on your UK savings interest for 2026/27, 2025/26 or 2024/25. Tax on savings interest depends on your other income, your Personal Allowance, the Starting Rate for Savings and your Personal Savings Allowance, not a flat percentage of your interest.

Your income

Employment, pension, self-employment and relevant property income. Used only to work out your Personal Allowance and where your savings interest falls within the tax bands; this calculator does not calculate the Income Tax due on this income. Do not include savings interest or dividends.
Interest from UK bank accounts, building societies, savings accounts, credit unions or savings bonds held outside an ISA. Do not include ISA interest, Premium Bond prizes, or dividends; ISA interest and Premium Bond prizes are never taxable.

Optional

Optional. Only used to work out your Personal Savings Allowance band correctly, because dividend income counts towards your total income even though it is taxed separately. This calculator does not calculate Dividend Tax; use the Dividend Tax Calculator for that.

This calculator estimates tax on taxable savings interest only. It does not calculate Income Tax on your other income or Dividend Tax on dividend income; use the Income Tax Calculator or Dividend Tax Calculator for those. Savings interest is taxed using UK-wide rates and bands for everyone, including Scottish taxpayers.

Your savings tax bands

Savings interest is stacked on top of your other taxable income to work out which allowances and tax bands it falls into. The Starting Rate for Savings and the Personal Savings Allowance are both 0% tax rates, not amounts ignored when working out your bands: they still use up space in whichever band they fall into.

  • Personal Savings Allowance (0%)
  • Basic savings rate
Savings tax bands for this calculation
BandRateInterestTax charged
Personal Savings Allowance0%£1,000.00£0.00
Basic savings rate20%£1,000.00£200.00

The Starting Rate for Savings

The Starting Rate for Savings is a 0% tax band of up to £5,000.00 for 2026/27. It is not a flat allowance: it shrinks by £1 for every £1 your other (non-savings) income is above your Personal Allowance, and disappears completely once your other income reaches your Personal Allowance plus £5,000.00.

Your Personal Savings Allowance

Based on this calculation you have Basic rate status, giving a Personal Savings Allowance of £1,000.00. Your Personal Savings Allowance depends on which tax band your total income falls into, including any dividend income entered above, even though dividends are taxed separately.

Unused Personal Allowance

Your Personal Allowance is used against your other taxable non-savings income first. Any Personal Allowance left over then covers your savings interest before the Starting Rate for Savings or Personal Savings Allowance are even considered.

ISA interest and Premium Bonds

Interest earned inside an ISA is always tax-free and should not be entered into this calculator. Premium Bond prizes are also never taxable and are not interest at all.

Why dividend income can matter

This calculator does not calculate Dividend Tax. Dividend income is only used, if you enter it, to work out your Personal Savings Allowance correctly: your allowance depends on which tax band your total income falls into, and dividend income counts towards that total even though it is taxed after savings income under separate Dividend Tax rules. If you have dividend income as well as savings interest, use the Dividend Tax Calculator to estimate the tax on your dividends.

Scottish taxpayers

Savings interest is taxed using UK-wide rates and bands for everyone, wherever you live in the UK. Scottish taxpayers use Scottish Income Tax bands for their other non-savings income, but this does not change how their savings interest is taxed: the Starting Rate for Savings, Personal Savings Allowance and savings tax bands are always the UK-wide figures.

Personal Allowance and the £100,000 threshold

Savings interest counts towards your total income when working out your Personal Allowance, including the taper that reduces your Personal Allowance by £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000, reaching zero at £125,140. If your savings interest is what pushes your income past £100,000, this can increase the tax due on your other income as well as on your interest, shown separately above where it applies.

How tax on savings interest is collected

Banks and building societies pay interest without deducting tax. HMRC usually collects any tax owed by adjusting your PAYE tax code, based on interest reported by your bank or building society, or through Self Assessment if your savings and investment income is high or you already file a return. This calculator estimates your liability; it does not mean a bank will deduct this amount directly.

Worked examples

Figures below are for 2026/27, generated by this calculator's own engine.

ScenarioOther income + interestEstimated tax on savingsEffective rate
Unused Personal Allowance covers interest£0 + £10,000£0.000.0%
Basic-rate Personal Savings Allowance£30,000 + £2,000£200.0010.0%
Higher-rate Personal Savings Allowance£60,000 + £2,000£600.0030.0%
Additional-rate, no Personal Savings Allowance£150,000 + £5,000£2,250.0045.0%
Questions

Frequently asked questions

How much savings interest can I earn tax free?
It depends on your other income. Everyone gets a Personal Savings Allowance (£1,000 if you are a basic-rate taxpayer, £500 if higher-rate, £0 if additional-rate), and if your other income is low you may also get some or all of the £5,000 Starting Rate for Savings at 0%, on top of your normal Personal Allowance.
What is the Personal Savings Allowance?
It is a 0% tax rate on the first £1,000 (basic-rate), £500 (higher-rate), or £0 (additional-rate) of your savings interest each tax year. It is worked out based on which tax band your total income falls into, not a separate pot of tax-free money.
What is the Starting Rate for Savings?
A 0% tax band of up to £5,000 for savings interest, available if your other non-savings income is low. It shrinks by £1 for every £1 your other income is above your Personal Allowance, and disappears once your other income reaches your Personal Allowance plus £5,000.
Do additional-rate taxpayers get a Personal Savings Allowance?
No. Additional-rate taxpayers get £0 Personal Savings Allowance, though they may still benefit from unused Personal Allowance or the Starting Rate for Savings where applicable.
Is ISA interest taxable?
No. Interest earned inside an ISA is always tax-free and should not be entered into this calculator.
Do Scottish taxpayers pay different tax on savings interest?
No. Savings interest is taxed using UK-wide rates and bands for everyone, including Scottish taxpayers, even though Scottish Income Tax bands apply to their other non-savings income.
Does savings interest affect my Personal Allowance?
Yes, if your total income including savings interest goes above £100,000, your Personal Allowance is gradually reduced, which can increase the tax due on your other income as well as your savings.
How does HMRC collect tax on savings interest?
Banks and building societies pay interest without deducting tax. HMRC usually collects any tax owed by adjusting your PAYE tax code based on interest reported by your bank, or through Self Assessment if your savings and investment income is high or you already file a return.

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This calculator provides estimates of UK tax on savings interest for general information only and is not financial or tax advice. It does not calculate Income Tax on other income or Dividend Tax on dividend income, and it does not reproduce your exact tax code or Self Assessment position. Individual circumstances can differ; check GOV.UK guidance or seek professional advice if you are unsure.