Use this calculator to estimate how much of your savings interest is covered by your Personal Savings Allowance and starting rate for savings, and how much tax you may need to pay.
Estimated tax due
Based on £35,000 of other income and £1,500 of savings interest
See how your savings interest is split between unused Personal Allowance, the starting rate, the Personal Savings Allowance, and any taxable balance.
| Category | Treatment | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance used on savings | Tax-free | £0 |
| Starting rate for savings | Tax-free | £0 |
| Personal Savings Allowance | Tax-free | £1,000 |
| Taxable savings interest | Taxed | £500 |
| Total savings interest | £1,500 | |
Estimates use standard UK rules for Personal Allowance, the starting rate for savings, and the Personal Savings Allowance for the 2026/27 tax year.
This version does not include dividends, property income, foreign savings, Marriage Allowance, Blind Person's Allowance, or other specialist tax adjustments.
The Personal Savings Allowance, often shortened to PSA, lets many UK savers earn some savings interest tax free outside an ISA. For the 2026/27 tax year, basic-rate taxpayers can usually earn up to £1,000 of savings interest tax free, higher-rate taxpayers up to £500, and additional-rate taxpayers get no PSA.
The PSA is only one part of the picture. Some savers also have unused Personal Allowance or qualify for the starting rate for savings, which can shelter extra interest before any tax is due.
The starting rate for savings can make up to £5,000 of savings interest tax free if your other income is low enough. Every £1 of other income above your Personal Allowance reduces that £5,000 starting-rate band by £1.
With a standard Personal Allowance of £12,570, the starting rate is fully used up once other income reaches £17,570. If your other income is below that, the starting rate can be a major part of your tax-free savings interest.
This calculator works through the rules in the same order most savers think about them: first unused Personal Allowance, then the starting rate for savings, then the Personal Savings Allowance. Any interest left after those tax-free amounts is treated as taxable savings interest.
Taxable savings interest can still span more than one tax band, so the calculator estimates the tax due by looking at where that remaining interest sits once your other income has already used the lower bands.
These three rules do different jobs. Personal Allowance is the general income tax-free allowance. The starting rate for savings is a savings-specific 0% band for people with low other income. The PSA is a separate tax-free amount for savings interest that depends on whether you are a basic-rate, higher-rate, or additional-rate taxpayer.
Because they stack in that order, two people with the same amount of savings interest can get very different outcomes if their other income is different.
This calculator uses standard Personal Allowance rules, the starting rate for savings, and the Personal Savings Allowance for the 2026/27 tax year, which runs from 6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027.
It does not include dividends, property income, foreign savings, Marriage Allowance, Blind Person's Allowance, or more complex Self Assessment edge cases. Use it as a practical guide, not as personalised tax advice.
It depends on your unused Personal Allowance, whether the starting rate for savings applies, and your Personal Savings Allowance. This calculator estimates how those rules combine for the 2026/27 tax year.
The Personal Savings Allowance lets many savers earn some interest tax free outside an ISA. Basic-rate taxpayers can usually get £1,000, higher-rate taxpayers £500, and additional-rate taxpayers £0.
The starting rate for savings can make up to £5,000 of savings interest tax free if your other income is low enough. Every £1 of other income above your Personal Allowance reduces that tax-free starting-rate band by £1.
Interest is usually paid without tax being taken off first. If you owe tax, HMRC may collect it by adjusting your tax code or through Self Assessment, depending on your circumstances.
No. This version focuses on other taxable income and savings interest only. Dividend income, property income, foreign savings, and other specialist adjustments are outside the current scope.
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