Every line on a UK payslip explained, and the checks worth making each month.
Published 29 October 2026. Updated 29 October 2026.
If you are an employee, your employer must give you a payslip on or before each pay day, on paper or electronically. It must show your gross pay, any deductions and the net pay you receive. It is the quickest way to spot a wrong tax code, a missed pension contribution or an unexpected deduction, so it is worth a few minutes each month.
The tax code is printed on every payslip. The standard code for most people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 1257L, which reflects the £12,570 Personal Allowance for 2026/27. Check it matches what you expect, and use our tax code checker if it does not.
You will also see a tax period, such as month number or week number. Tax months run from the 6th of one month to the 5th of the next, and the tax year starts on 6 April, so month 1 does not match the calendar month.
Most payslips show running totals for the tax year so far: gross pay, tax paid, National Insurance and pension. These matter because PAYE is cumulative. Each pay day, your employer works out the tax due on your total pay to date and subtracts what you have already paid. If these totals look low after a job change, ask your employer whether your previous pay details were included.
To compare your payslip with an estimate, use our salary tax calculator and see how PAYE works for the full picture. The figures are estimates, so small differences can come from pension arrangements, benefits in kind and your exact tax period.