£20,000 Redundancy After Tax on £20,000 Salary
Tax-free: £20,000 · Effective redundancy tax rate: 0.0%
Redundancy tax breakdown 2025-26
| Component | Amount | Tax treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Total redundancy payment | £20,000 | — |
| Tax-free portion | £20,000 | 0% tax & NI |
| Net redundancy take-home | £20,000 | Effective rate: 0.0% |
Tax on your redundancy
Your entire redundancy payment of £20,000 falls within the £30,000 tax-free threshold — you pay zero tax and zero NI on it.
How much redundancy do you keep on £20,000?
On a £20,000 salary, a £20,000 redundancy payment leaves you with £20,000 after tax. The tax-free portion is £20,000 (the first £30,000 is always tax-free). Because your payment is below £30,000, you pay zero tax and zero National Insurance — you keep the full £20,000.
Unlike salary, redundancy payments above £30,000 are only subject to Income Tax — not National Insurance. This means a £50,000 redundancy payment is more tax-efficient than an equivalent salary increase.
The £30,000 redundancy tax-free threshold
HMRC has maintained a £30,000 tax-free threshold for redundancy payments since 1988. This covers both Statutory Redundancy Pay (SRP) and any enhanced redundancy your employer pays. The threshold applies per redundancy event, so if you are made redundant more than once in a career, each event has its own £30,000 allowance.
Statutory Redundancy Pay is capped at £643 per week for 2025-26, over a maximum of 20 years' service and using an age-based multiplier (½ week for under 22s, 1 week for 22–40, 1½ weeks for 41+). The maximum statutory payment is £19,290 — well within the tax-free £30,000 limit.
Frequently asked questions
How much of my £20,000 redundancy is tax-free?
Your entire £20,000 redundancy payment is within the £30,000 tax-free threshold, so you pay no tax and no NI on it. You keep the full £20,000.
How much tax will I pay on my £20,000 redundancy payment?
None. Your £20,000 redundancy falls entirely within the £30,000 tax-free allowance. No Income Tax and no National Insurance applies.
Is redundancy pay subject to National Insurance?
No. Redundancy payments are exempt from National Insurance contributions — both employee and employer NI. Only Income Tax applies to any amount above the £30,000 tax-free threshold. This makes redundancy more tax-efficient than equivalent salary.
What is the £30,000 redundancy tax-free allowance?
HMRC allows the first £30,000 of any redundancy payment to be paid completely free of tax. This applies to both Statutory Redundancy Pay (SRP) and any enhanced redundancy your employer offers. The threshold has been £30,000 since 1988 and applies per redundancy event, not per tax year.
Is enhanced redundancy tax-free the same as statutory redundancy?
Yes. The £30,000 tax-free threshold covers the total redundancy payment — statutory and enhanced combined. So if you receive £10,000 statutory plus £25,000 enhanced = £35,000 total, only £5,000 above the £30,000 threshold is taxable.
What is my net redundancy take-home on £20,000 with £20,000 redundancy?
On a £20,000 salary, a £20,000 redundancy payment produces a take-home of £20,000. Tax-free portion: £20,000. Taxable portion: £0. Income Tax on the taxable amount: £0. Effective tax rate on the full redundancy: 0.0%.
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