{"id":101,"date":"2019-05-28T13:56:17","date_gmt":"2019-05-28T12:56:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/?p=101"},"modified":"2026-10-29T11:57:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T11:57:41","slug":"what-does-the-tax-code-mean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/the-tax-basics\/what-does-the-tax-code-mean\/","title":{"rendered":"Tax codes explained: What your code means and whether it&#8217;s right"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A tax code tells your employer or pension provider how much tax-free income you get and how much tax to take from your pay. Here&#8217;s what each part means.\u00a0<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Your code in 60 seconds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The number<\/strong> is your tax-free <a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/glossary\/personal-allowance\/\">Personal Allowance<\/a>, after any adjustments. The last digit is replaced by a letter.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The letter<\/strong> shows your situation. L means you get the standard Personal Allowance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>For the standard code<\/strong>, a Personal Allowance of \u00a312,570 for 2026\/27 becomes 1257L.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to check your code against your salary? Use our <a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/calculator\/tax-code-checker\/\"><strong>tax code checker<\/strong><\/a>. For a full breakdown of your tax, try our <a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/calculator\/uk-income-tax-calculator\/\"><strong>UK Income Tax calculator<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div data-react=\"tooltip-provider\"><\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"c-block-calculator\">\n\n    <div class=\"c-block-calculator__container\">\n\n\n    <div data-react=\"tax-code-calculator\" data-options='{\n        \"title\": \"\",\n        \"lead\": \"\"\n    }'>\n        <!-- Default calc code -->\n\n        <div class=\"sc-giYgFv fzUHXQ\"><div class=\"sc-ezbkgU bcxCiI\"><div class=\"sc-bYoCmx RakSM\"><div width=\"100%\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"DropdownSelect__Container-sc-1iiysit-0 evEFoA\"><button width=\"100%\" class=\"DropdownSelect__LabelContainer-sc-1iiysit-1 egNJwI\"><span class=\"DropdownSelect__Label-sc-1iiysit-2 loOBxi\">Tax year 2024\/25<\/span> <span class=\"DropdownSelect__Arrow-sc-1iiysit-3 hcHQYJ\">\u25bc<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sc-dPiKHq jvrqXK\"><div class=\"sc-bBHHQT eyRCSV\"><h3 class=\"sc-khQdMy idLFkV\">Your situation<\/h3><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMzQiIGhlaWdodD0iNzYiIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAzNCA3NiIgZmlsbD0ibm9uZSIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj48cGF0aCBkPSJNMzIuMjUgMzQuOTMzNVYxLjg0OTYxSDIwLjE0OTlDMTcuNzQ5OSA5LjA0OTYxIDExLjA1IDEzLjY0OTYgMS43NSAxNC4xNDk2VjI2Ljk0OTZDNy45NSAyNi45NDk2IDEzLjg0OTkgMjUuMDQ5NiAxNy44NDk5IDIxLjg0OTZWMzQuOTMzNU0xNy44NDk5IDU1LjUxODhWNzQuMDQ5NkgzMi4yNVY1OS40OTQ1VjU1LjUxODgiIHN0cm9rZT0iYmxhY2siIHN0cm9rZS13aWR0aD0iMiIgc3Ryb2tlLWxpbmVjYXA9InJvdW5kIiBzdHJva2UtbGluZWpvaW49InJvdW5kIi8+PC9zdmc+\" alt=\"Outlined number one\" class=\"sc-cNKpQo gvneOt\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,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\" alt=\"Image of an arrow\" class=\"sc-AjmZR ctylzc\"><\/div><div class=\"sc-hUpaWb\"><form><div class=\"sc-kLwgWK gVgARU\"><div class=\"Form__FormRowTitle-sc-32vt5e-2 coHrqe\">Tax code <div class=\"sc-eJwXpk byFCvI\"><span data-hint-default=\"Not sure what your tax code is? Check HMRC online or a recent PAYE coding notice, payslip, P45, P60 or pension advice slip\"><div class=\"sc-nVjpj eKPbQR\">?<\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><div class=\"Form__FormRowItem-sc-32vt5e-3\"><div class=\"Input__Container-sc-11yg3hb-0 jiJACg\"><input name=\"taxCode\" class=\"Input__InputElement-sc-11yg3hb-1 hA-dEwl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sc-kLwgWK gVgARU\"><div class=\"Form__FormRowTitle-sc-32vt5e-2 coHrqe\">Annual salary<\/div><div class=\"Form__FormRowItem-sc-32vt5e-3\"><div class=\"Input__Container-sc-11yg3hb-0 jiJACg\"><input type=\"number\" min=\"0\" pattern=\"[0-9]*\" name=\"annualIncome\" class=\"Input__InputElement-sc-11yg3hb-1 gvuJbz\"><div class=\"Input__Suffix-sc-11yg3hb-4 eEnjn\">\u00a3<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><button disabled=\"\" type=\"button\" class=\"Button__Container-sc-1yfsg4-0 bsATTQ\"><div class=\"Loadable__Container-sc-113zh66-0 boOZMZ\"><div class=\"Loadable__Overlay-sc-113zh66-1 eNpsGm\"><div class=\"Loadable__SpinnerContainer-sc-113zh66-3 ixfJxf\"><div role=\"progressbar\" aria-busy=\"true\" aria-live=\"polite\" color=\"#003cd7\" class=\"Spinner__Container-sc-1v52frf-0 epXYIp\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"Loadable__Content-sc-113zh66-2 dfBZsX\">Calculate<\/div><\/div><\/button><\/form><\/div><\/div><div opacity=\"1\" class=\"sc-jgrIVw gcVyeu\"><div class=\"sc-gSQGeZ mqvVl\"><h3 class=\"sc-iNGGwv dFrXnM\">Results<\/h3><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,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\" alt=\"Outlined number two\" class=\"sc-lbhJmS hQoEOj\"><\/div><div class=\"sc-jeqYYF fOQSYu\"><ul class=\"sc-gWXaA-D byUbmH\"><li class=\"sc-cCcYRi TgcgA\"><div class=\"sc-iUKrWq jFZeFw\">PAYE earnings<\/div><div class=\"sc-efQUeY cGxXVa\">\u00a349,000<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div class=\"sc-dJjZJu isonvD\"><button class=\"sc-hGPAah fmpGnU\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,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\" alt=\"Illustration\" class=\"sc-dlVyqM lhOciq\"><div class=\"sc-kfPtPH\"><div class=\"sc-fKVsgm kAXsua\">Calculation details<\/div><div class=\"sc-bBHwJV jdTgMA\"><span>Click here<\/span> to show how we&#8217;ve calculated your taxes<\/div><\/div><\/button><div class=\"sc-iwjezw jVHDsA\"><div class=\"sc-cTApHj\"><div class=\"c-body m-smaller\"><h2>How your tax code is calculated<\/h2><p>There are three main components that determine your tax code:<\/p><ul><li>What you earn<\/li><li>Allowances you&#8217;re claiming<\/li><li>Your tax-free allowances<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n        <!-- END Default calc code -->\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div> <!-- .c-container -->\n<\/div> <!-- .c-block-calculator -->\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-container\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tax in 10(ish) seconds - what is a tax code?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/W1C1sKoEtvg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the numbers in your tax code mean<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The number is the tax-free income you get from that job or pension in the tax year. HMRC starts with your <a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/glossary\/personal-allowance\/\">Personal Allowance<\/a>. It then takes off any income you haven&#8217;t paid tax on yet, such as untaxed interest. It also takes off other deductions, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/expenses\/do-i-need-to-declare-benefits-in-kind-on-my-tax-return\/\">company benefits<\/a>. The last digit of the result is replaced by the letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Rule of thumb:<\/strong> for a standard code, divide your Personal Allowance by 10. For 2026\/27, the standard allowance is \u00a312,570, so:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a312,570 \u00f7 10 = 1,257<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Say your employer gives you medical insurance worth \u00a31,570. That benefit reduces your Personal Allowance to \u00a311,000, so your code becomes 1100L.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the letters mean<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s a list of tax codes and what they mean:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/25Q3_TS-UK_Rebrand_Website_SEO-Content_Tax-code-1440x4362.png\" width=\"1440\" height=\"4362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/25Q3_TS-UK_Rebrand_Website_SEO-Content_Tax-code-99x300.png 99w, https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/25Q3_TS-UK_Rebrand_Website_SEO-Content_Tax-code-338x1024.png 338w, https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/25Q3_TS-UK_Rebrand_Website_SEO-Content_Tax-code-768x2326.png 768w, https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/25Q3_TS-UK_Rebrand_Website_SEO-Content_Tax-code-507x1536.png 507w, https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/25Q3_TS-UK_Rebrand_Website_SEO-Content_Tax-code-676x2048.png 676w, https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/25Q3_TS-UK_Rebrand_Website_SEO-Content_Tax-code-1440x4362.png 1440w, https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/25Q3_TS-UK_Rebrand_Website_SEO-Content_Tax-code-scaled.png 845w\" class=\"wp-block-image__media\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1000px) 768px, calc(100vw - 48px)\" alt=\"\"><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Terms like <a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/glossary\/basic-tax-rate\/\">basic rate<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/glossary\/higher-rate-tax\/\">higher rate<\/a> refer to tax bands, the slices of your income taxed at set rates. If you want more info, read our guide to<a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/income-tax-rates-in-the-uk\/\"> <strong>UK income tax rates and tax bands<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&nbsp;What a K code means<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A K code means you have income or deductions that are higher than your Personal Allowance and aren&#8217;t already being taxed. This can happen if you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>owe tax from a previous year, which is collected through your pay or pension<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>get the <a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/glossary\/state-pension\/\">State Pension<\/a> or taxable state benefits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>get company benefits you pay tax on, such as a company car<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>earn more interest on your savings than your <a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/glossary\/personal-savings-allowance\/\">Personal Savings Allowance<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Your employer or pension provider uses the K code to collect that tax. They can&#8217;t take more than half of your pre-tax pay or pension this way.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div> <!-- .c-body -->\n\n<div class=\"b-highlight-mini m-neutral m-align-left\">\n    <div class=\"b-block-body\">\n        <p><strong>Want to know more?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Read<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/tax-codes\/k-in-your-tax-code\"> <strong>GOV.UK&#8217;s guidance on K codes<\/strong><\/a>, or consult the information and recommendations on our<a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/calculator\/tax-code-checker\/\"> <strong>tax code checker<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div> <!-- .b-highlight-mini -->\n\n<div class=\"c-body\">\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which tax code should I be on?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For 2026\/27, 1257L is the code used by most people with one job or pension. It breaks down like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>1257<\/strong> comes from the standard Personal Allowance of \u00a312,570.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>L<\/strong> means you get the standard Personal Allowance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a second job, make sure the job that pays you the most carries the L code, not BR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your code may differ from 1257L if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>you have more than one job or pension, as each one gets its own code<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you have untaxed income, such as savings interest above your Personal Savings Allowance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you get company benefits, such as a company car<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>your income is over \u00a3100,000, which reduces your Personal Allowance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To check your code, use our<a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/calculator\/tax-code-checker\/\"> <strong>tax code checker<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emergency tax codes after a new job<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your new employer doesn&#8217;t have your starter details, you may be put on an emergency code. These codes end in <strong>W1<\/strong>, <strong>M1<\/strong>, <strong>X<\/strong> or <strong>NONCUM<\/strong>, and they&#8217;re usually temporary. To help your employer, give them your P45 or fill in the starter checklist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>HMRC can take up to 35 days from your start date to update your code, so give it that time before you get in touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/tax-codes\/emergency-tax-codes\"> <strong>GOV.UK&#8217;s guidance on emergency tax codes<\/strong><\/a> for more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Earning over \u00a3100,000: how your Personal Allowance is reduced<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Earning over \u00a3100,000? Here&#8217;s how your Personal Allowance works, and how<a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/self-assessment-basics\/deadlines-and-penalties\/how-to-add-pension-contributions-to-my-tax-return\/\"> pension contributions can help you plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For every \u00a32 your adjusted net income is above \u00a3100,000, your Personal Allowance falls by \u00a31. It reaches zero at \u00a3125,140 for 2026\/27.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if your adjusted net income is \u00a3110,000, your allowance falls by \u00a35,000 to \u00a37,570. That gives a code of 757L.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pension contributions can reduce your adjusted net income, which may restore part of your Personal Allowance. Use our<a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/calculator\/pension-tax-relief\/\"> <strong>pension tax relief calculator<\/strong><\/a> to see how this could apply to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Find out more in our guide to<a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/high-earner-tax-returns\/what-are-the-tax-implications-of-earning-over-100k\/\"> <strong>the tax implications of earning over \u00a3100k<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When should I contact HMRC about my tax code?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Get in touch with HMRC if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>you see BR, D0 or D1 on your code, and it isn&#8217;t because you have a second job<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you&#8217;re on an emergency code more than 35 days after starting a new job<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>you think you&#8217;ve paid too much or too little tax<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To get started, sign in to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/check-income-tax-current-year\"> <strong>Check your Income Tax online<\/strong><\/a>. If you&#8217;d rather call, you can reach HMRC on 0300 200 3300. Have your National Insurance number ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if my tax code is wrong?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check and update your details online first.<\/strong> Sign in to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/check-income-tax-current-year\">Check your Income Tax<\/a> online and make sure your employment, pension and benefit details are correct.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>HMRC updates your code within 15 working days<\/strong> and tells you and your employer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you&#8217;re paid monthly, the new code usually appears on your next or following payslip. If you&#8217;re paid weekly, it should be on your third payslip.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<\/div> <!-- .c-body -->\n\n<div class=\"b-highlight-mini m-neutral m-align-left\">\n    <div class=\"b-block-body\">\n        <p><strong>Think your code is wrong?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Use our<a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/calculator\/tax-code-checker\/\"> <strong>tax code checker<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div> <!-- .b-highlight-mini -->\n\n<div class=\"c-body\">\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens if I pay too much or not enough tax?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/the-tax-basics\/am-i-due-a-tax-rebate\/\">If you&#8217;ve paid too much<\/a>, HMRC usually refunds the difference through your pay once it updates your code. If you&#8217;ve paid too little, HMRC may adjust your code to collect the tax over one or more years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of the tax year, you may get a tax calculation letter (P800) or a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/understand-simple-assessment\"> Simple Assessment letter<\/a>. Simple Assessment is used if tax can&#8217;t be taken from your income, or if you owe more than \u00a33,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Your 2026\/27 checklist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Find your current code.<\/strong> Check it in Check your Income Tax online, the HMRC app, on your payslip or on a Tax Code Notice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Confirm your allowance.<\/strong> For 2026\/27, it&#8217;s \u00a312,570 unless it has been adjusted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check your untaxed income.<\/strong> Savings interest and other income that hasn&#8217;t been taxed can affect your code.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check your pension details and company benefits.<\/strong> Make sure HMRC has them right.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Correct HMRC&#8217;s details<\/strong> if anything is wrong or missing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Get help if your income is complex.<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/platform\/filing-a-self-assessment-tax-return-with-taxscouts\/\">Consider Self Assessment<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/tax-advice\/\">speak to a UK-qualified tax accountant<\/a>. Taxfix connects you with UK-qualified tax accountants and digital tools to make filing quicker and easier.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check again each April,<\/strong> when the new tax year starts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ: Tax codes explained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does the letter L mean in my tax code?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>L means you get the standard Personal Allowance, which is \u00a312,570 for 2026\/27.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is an emergency tax code?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>An emergency code ends in W1, M1, X or NONCUM. It&#8217;s usually temporary and often happens when your new employer is missing your starter details.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does a K tax code mean?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A K code means your untaxed income or tax owed from a previous year is higher than your Personal Allowance. The extra amount is collected through your pay or pension.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I have more than one tax code?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes. You&#8217;ll have one tax code for each job or pension you have.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which tax code should I be on?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>1257L is used for most people with one job or pension. Check your own code with our<a href=\"https:\/\/taxfix.com\/en-uk\/calculator\/tax-code-checker\/\"> <strong>tax code checker<\/strong><\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do the S and C letters in a tax code mean?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>S means your income is taxed using Scottish rates. C means your income is taxed using Welsh rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This article provides general information only and is not personalised tax advice.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A tax code tells your employer or pension provider how much tax-free income you get and how much tax to take from your pay. Here&#8217;s what each part means.\u00a0 Your code in 60 seconds Want to check your code against your salary? Use our tax code checker. For a full breakdown of your tax, try [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[432,427],"tags":[414,102,348],"class_list":["post-101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-how-to-reduce-the-tax-you-pay","category-the-tax-basics","tag-employment-status","tag-hmrc","tag-income-tax"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Tax codes explained: What your code means and whether it&#039;s right &#8211; Taxfix (formerly TaxScouts)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A set of letters and numbers known as the tax code instructs HMRC on how much tax you owe. 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