Tax Code Checker
What your tax code means and how much you can earn tax free.
Your details
Find it on your payslip, P60 or in the HMRC app.
Try an example
Tax-free pay a year
£12,570
About £1,047.50 a month before tax starts
- Code
- 1257L
- Type
- L code
- Tax rates
- England and NI
- Emergency basis
- No
- L means you get the standard tax-free Personal Allowance.
- This is the standard code for most people with one job or pension in 2026/27.
If your code looks wrong, check it in your personal tax account or the HMRC app. Your employer cannot change it without HMRC.
How it is worked out
- 1The number in most codes is your tax-free allowance divided by ten, so 1257L means £12,570 a year.
- 2The letter after the number says how the allowance is set, for example L for the standard allowance or M for Marriage Allowance.
- 3Codes like BR, D0 and 0T, and codes starting with K, follow special rules that the checker explains.
- 4W1, M1 or X at the end means an emergency basis, where each payslip is taxed on its own.
Worth knowing
- Only HMRC can change your tax code. Check it in your personal tax account or the HMRC app.
- If you have more than one job or pension, each one has its own code.
Common questions
What does 1257L mean?+
It means you get the standard Personal Allowance of £12,570 a year, so about £1,047 a month is tax free.
Why do I have an emergency tax code?+
Usually because your employer did not have a P45 or your details from HMRC when you started. It is normally corrected within a month or two, and overpaid tax is refunded through your pay.
Sources
The rules and figures behind this calculator come from:
This explains what tax codes usually mean. It is general information, not tax advice. HMRC sets your code, and your personal tax account shows how it was worked out.
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