Question 1

What is salary sacrifice?

Accepted Answer

Salary sacrifice (also known as salary exchange) is a contractual arrangement between you and your employer where you agree to give up part of your gross salary in exchange for a non-cash benefit. Common benefits include pension contributions, electric vehicle leases through company car schemes, and bikes through the cycle-to-work scheme. The key advantage is that the sacrifice happens before tax and National Insurance are calculated, meaning you pay less in deductions.

Question 2

What is a salary exchange calculator?

Accepted Answer

Salary exchange is simply another name for salary sacrifice — the terms are interchangeable. Some employers prefer "salary exchange" as it sounds more like a fair swap rather than giving something up. Our salary exchange calculator works exactly the same way, helping you calculate your tax and NI savings whether your employer calls it salary sacrifice or salary exchange.

Question 3

How does salary sacrifice save you money?

Accepted Answer

When you sacrifice salary, your gross pay is reduced before tax calculations. This means you save both income tax and National Insurance on the sacrificed amount. For a basic rate taxpayer (20% tax, 8% NI), each £100 sacrificed only reduces your take-home pay by about £72, giving you a 28% effective discount on the benefit. Higher rate taxpayers (40% tax, 2% NI above the upper threshold) can save even more — around 42% on salary sacrifice benefits.

Question 4

How does pension salary sacrifice work?

Accepted Answer

Pension salary sacrifice is one of the most tax-efficient ways to save for retirement. Instead of making pension contributions from your net pay (after tax), the employer pays directly into your pension from your pre-tax salary. You save National Insurance that you would otherwise pay, and many employers pass on their NI savings as additional pension contributions. Unlike personal pensions, there is no need to claim higher rate tax relief through self-assessment.

Question 5

How does EV salary sacrifice work?

Accepted Answer

Electric vehicle salary sacrifice schemes have become extremely popular due to the low Benefit in Kind (BiK) rates for EVs. For 2025/26, pure electric vehicles have just a 3% BiK rate. This means if you sacrifice £500/month for an EV with a £40,000 list price, you only pay BiK tax on £1,200 (3% of £40,000), which is typically just £240–480 per year depending on your tax rate. Combined with the tax and NI savings on the sacrifice itself, EV schemes often provide effective discounts of 40% or more compared to buying or leasing privately.

Question 6

How does the cycle-to-work scheme work?

Accepted Answer

The cycle-to-work scheme allows you to get a bike and accessories through salary sacrifice, typically over 12–18 months. You save tax and NI on the monthly payments, and at the end of the hire period, you can usually purchase the bike for a small residual value. The typical saving is 25–40% compared to buying outright, making it an attractive option for commuters and cycling enthusiasts.

Question 7

Does salary sacrifice affect my mortgage application?

Accepted Answer

Yes, salary sacrifice reduces your gross salary on paper, and most mortgage lenders use your gross salary to calculate affordability. Some lenders will consider your pre-sacrifice salary if you provide evidence of the arrangement, but many will use the post-sacrifice figure. If you are planning to apply for a mortgage soon, it may be worth discussing with a broker before committing to significant salary sacrifice arrangements.

Question 8

Does salary sacrifice affect my state pension or benefits?

Accepted Answer

If salary sacrifice reduces your earnings below certain thresholds, it could affect your entitlement to state benefits and your state pension record. The key thresholds are the Lower Earnings Limit for NI (£6,396 in 2025/26) below which you do not accrue a qualifying year for state pension, and the Primary Threshold (£12,576) below which you pay no NI but still accrue state pension credits. For most employees, salary sacrifice will not bring earnings below these levels, but it is worth checking if you have a low salary and high sacrifice amounts.

Question 9

What is the £100,000 salary sacrifice strategy?

Accepted Answer

If you earn between £100,000 and £125,140, you are in the personal allowance taper zone. For every £2 you earn above £100,000, you lose £1 of your personal allowance, creating an effective marginal tax rate of 60% (40% tax plus 20% from the lost allowance). Using salary sacrifice to bring your adjusted net income below £100,000 can restore your full personal allowance, potentially saving thousands in tax.

Vehicle Type	2024/25	2025/26
Pure Electric (0 g/km)	2%	3%
PHEV 130+ miles (1-50 g/km)	2%	3%
PHEV 70-129 miles (1-50 g/km)	5%	5%
PHEV 40-69 miles (1-50 g/km)	8%	8%
Petrol/Diesel 100-109 g/km	25%	26%
Petrol/Diesel 160+ g/km	37%	37%

Salary Sacrifice Calculator

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