List of UK Tax Codes and What They Mean
Quick answer
A UK tax code tells your employer or pension provider how much tax-free income you get before tax is deducted. The number is your tax-free amount divided by ten; the letter shows your situation. 1257L is the standard 2026/27 code, giving the full GBP 12,570 Personal Allowance.
UK tax code letters and codes
| Code / letter | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1257L | The standard code for most people in 2026/27, giving the full GBP 12,570 Personal Allowance |
| L | You get the standard tax-free Personal Allowance |
| M | Marriage Allowance: you have received a transfer of 10% of your partner Personal Allowance |
| N | Marriage Allowance: you have transferred 10% of your Personal Allowance to your partner |
| T | Your code includes other calculations used to work out your Personal Allowance |
| 0T | Your Personal Allowance has been used up, or you started a new job without giving your employer the details to work out a code |
| BR | All income from this job or pension is taxed at the basic rate (20% in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) |
| D0 | All income from this job or pension is taxed at the higher rate (40%) |
| D1 | All income from this job or pension is taxed at the additional rate (45%) |
| NT | No tax is being taken from this income |
| K | You have income that is not being taxed another way (such as company benefits or the State Pension) worth more than your tax-free allowance |
| S | Your income is taxed using the rates in Scotland |
| C | Your income is taxed using the rates in Wales |
| W1 / M1 / X | Emergency codes: tax is worked out on this pay period only, as if you earned that amount every week or month |
Your tax code is the short string of numbers and a letter on your payslip that controls how much of your income is taxed at source. Get it wrong and you can overpay for years without noticing, or land an unexpected bill when HMRC catches up.
The number is the simple part: it is your tax-free Personal Allowance with the last digit removed, so 1257L means GBP 12,570 tax-free. The letter is where the detail lives, and it is what the table above decodes. A prefix instead of a suffix, such as the K code, flips the logic: it adds untaxed income to your pay rather than shielding part of it.
For the code almost everyone has, see our deep dive on what the 1257L tax code means. If your code looks wrong, the tax code checker walks through how to confirm it, and if you think you have overpaid, our guide to claiming a UK tax refund covers the HMRC process step by step.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common UK tax code?
1257L is the standard code for the 2026/27 tax year, used by most people with one job or pension and the full GBP 12,570 Personal Allowance.
Is a BR tax code bad?
Not necessarily. BR taxes all income from that source at the basic rate (20%) and is normal for a second job or pension. It only costs you money if it is applied to your main income by mistake, because you lose your tax-free Personal Allowance on that income.
What does a K tax code mean?
A K code means you have untaxed income, such as company benefits or the State Pension, that is greater than your tax-free allowance. The extra is added to your taxable pay rather than deducted from it, so more of your wage is taxed.
What is an emergency tax code?
An emergency code ends in W1, M1 or X. Your tax is worked out on the current pay period alone rather than your income for the whole year, which often means you pay too much at first. It is usually triggered by starting a new job without a P45, or starting to receive company benefits or the State Pension.
How do I check my tax code is right?
Check it against your payslip and your Personal Tax Account on gov.uk. If it looks wrong, contact HMRC. An incorrect code is one of the most common reasons people overpay or underpay tax.
Sources
General information, not financial advice. Tax rules and figures can change; check the current position on gov.uk before acting.