How much of a pay rise you keep, in five countries
A raise is taxed at your marginal rate, not your average rate. Here is how much of each extra 1,000 actually reaches your pay, at every salary, under the 2026/27 UK, 2026–27 Australian, 2026–27 NZ, 2026 Irish and 2026 Canadian rules.
Each point: of the next 1,000 earned (in local currency), the share left after tax and payroll deductions, at that salary converted from pounds at the ECB rate. Default assumptions as on each country's calculator.
What stands out
- At about £110,000 (converted), a raise is worth least in United Kingdom, where you keep 38% of it, and most in New Zealand (61%).
- The UK dip between £100,000 and £125,140 is the personal allowance taper: income tax of 60% plus 2% National Insurance on every extra pound.
- In Ireland, above €70,044 every extra euro faces 40% income tax, 8% USC and PRSI, so you keep about 48% of a raise all the way up.
Share of a raise kept, at five salary levels
| Salary (£, converted) | UK | Ireland | Australia | NZ | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £30,000 | 72% | 73% | 67% | 68% | 71% |
| £50,000 | 62% | 53% | 68% | 65% | 70% |
| £80,000 | 58% | 48% | 61% | 61% | 56% |
| £110,000 | 38% | 48% | 53% | 61% | 52% |
| £150,000 | 53% | 48% | 53% | 61% | 46% |
Method
- For each salary we compute take-home pay at that salary and at 1,000 more (in local currency) with the same engines as the calculators, which are tested against the official calculators (accuracy tests).
- Salaries are converted from pounds at the European Central Bank euro foreign exchange reference rates for 16 October 2026. This compares tax systems at similar money values; it ignores living costs and how much each job pays in each country.
- Defaults: UK England with tax code 1257L; Australia resident, tax for the year; New Zealand code M without KiwiSaver; Ireland single PAYE employee; Canada Ontario, every pay of the year in order.
Free to quote with a link to this page. See your own figures in the country comparison.