16 Hours a Week at £15.00/hr After Tax 2025-26
Zero hours contract · Weekly gross: £240 · Annual gross: £12,480
You pay NO Income Tax — annualised earnings (£12,480) are below the £12,570 Personal Allowance.
National Insurance is also zero at this level. Your take-home equals your gross. Note: PAYE is calculated weekly — if earnings vary, individual weeks above £242 may incur NI.
Tax breakdown — 16 hrs/week at £15.00/hr 2025-26
| Item | Annual | Monthly | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross earnings | £12,480 | £1,040 | £240 |
| Personal Allowance (tax-free) | £12,570 | £1,048 | £242 |
| Income Tax | −£0 | −£0 | −£0 |
| National Insurance | −£0 | −£0 | −£0 |
| Net take-home | £12,480 | £1,040 | £240 |
How PAYE works on a zero hours contract
PAYE tax on zero hours contracts is calculated each pay period based on that period's earnings, annualised using your tax code. If you work irregular hours, your PAYE deductions may vary significantly week to week. The figures above assume a consistent 16 hours/week throughout the year. Weeks where you earn more than £242 will attract NI; weeks below will not.
Personalised insights — 16 hrs/week at £15.00/hr
Zero hours contracts swing with demand — a practical "what if" matters. If you work 32 hours/week instead of 16 at the same £15.00/hr, your annual gross would be £24,960 with a net monthly take-home of around £1,791 — that is £751/month more than your current figures. Over a year, the hours fluctuation therefore changes take-home by roughly £9,012.
At £15.00/hr you sit £2,321/year above the statutory National Living Wage of £12.21/hr (at the same 16 hours). The voluntary Real Living Wage of £12.60/hr would add £0/year at your current hours; the London Living Wage of £13.85/hr would add £0/year. Your annual gross of £12,480 is 22% below the commonly cited UK single-adult poverty benchmark of £16,000.
You keep 100% of every pound after Income Tax and NI, which equates to about £0 in combined deductions per working day (260-day year) and £48 of daily net reaching your bank account. A full-time 37.5-hour week at the same £15.00/hr would scale gross to £29,250 and net to £24,580/year (£2,048/month). At your current hours, saving 10% of net monthly (£104/month) into an ISA would take about 193 months to fill the full £20,000 allowance.
Further reading
Frequently asked questions
Do zero hours workers pay Income Tax?
At 16 hours/week at £15.00/hr, your annualised gross is £12,480 — below the £12,570 Personal Allowance. You pay zero Income Tax. However your employer still operates PAYE and may deduct tax if your hours vary significantly in a given pay period.
Do zero hours workers pay National Insurance?
At £12,480/year annualised, you are below the NI Primary Threshold of £12,570 (£242/week). No National Insurance is deducted. Note: NI is assessed weekly — if you earn more than £242 in a specific week, NI applies to that week's earnings.
How much do I take home on a zero hours contract at £15.00/hr?
Working 16 hours/week at £15.00/hr gives a weekly gross of £240 and an annual gross of £12,480 (based on 52 weeks). After Income Tax of £0 and NI of £0, you take home £12,480/year — £1,040/month or £240/week. Effective tax rate: 0%.
Are zero hours workers taxed the same as regular employees?
Yes. Zero hours contract workers are treated as employees for tax purposes. Your employer deducts Income Tax and National Insurance through PAYE exactly as they would for a fixed-hours employee. The same Personal Allowance (£12,570) applies, and the same tax rates: 20% basic rate Income Tax and 8% employee NI on earnings above the thresholds.
What happens to my tax code on a zero hours contract?
On a zero hours contract, your employer uses your PAYE tax code (usually 1257L) to calculate deductions each pay period. Because zero hours earnings fluctuate, your employer annualises each pay period's earnings when calculating tax. This can mean over-deductions in busy weeks and under-deductions in quiet weeks. HMRC reconciles this via Self Assessment or a tax refund at year end. At 16 hours/week consistently, your annual gross is £12,480 and take-home is £12,480.
How does £15.00/hr on a zero hours contract compare to a salaried role?
At 16 hours/week, £15.00/hr gives a gross annual equivalent of £12,480 — the same as a salaried employee on that figure. Take-home is £12,480/year (£1,040/month). However, zero hours workers do not receive sick pay, holiday pay, or pension contributions from their employer by default, meaning the true value of a salaried role at £12,480 is typically higher than the equivalent zero hours gross.