UK Child Benefit charge calculator: how much do you lose over £60,000? Free, private

How much Child Benefit does the £60,000 charge take back?

Enter the higher earner's income, any pension and Gift Aid payments, and how many children you claim for. You get the clawback, the pension payment that would remove it, and the pay-or-opt-out choice.

A first read written from HMRC's published rules without a live lookup. Rules and weekly rates change each April; confirm the current text. Not tax advice.

Tax year

Higher earner's income before reductions (£)

Personal pension paid by you, net (£, optional)

Gift Aid donations, net (£, optional)

Children you claim for

Weeks of benefit in the year

Weekly rate, eldest child (£)

Weekly rate, each other child (£)

Fill in the figures, then click Work out the charge.

Result

The numbers

Item	Amount

What you must do

Step	What it means

What it does, and what it leaves to you

Covers: the £60,000 to £80,000 taper at 1% per £200, pension and Gift Aid reductions grossed up, the net benefit you keep, and the pension payment that removes the charge.
Gives: the charge, the avoid-it figure, the pay-or-opt-out trade-off and a checklist.
Not decided: which partner is the higher earner, your exact adjusted net income (other deductions exist), Scottish rates, backdated claims, the tax relief on the pension payment itself, and anything that changed after this was written. For the Self Assessment cash side see the payments on account calculator.

Common questions

What is the High Income Child Benefit Charge?

A tax charge on the higher earner in a household once their adjusted net income passes £60,000. It claws back 1% of the Child Benefit for every £200 over the line, so the whole benefit is gone at £80,000.

How do I avoid the Child Benefit charge?

Cut adjusted net income to £60,000 or less. Personal pension contributions and Gift Aid donations are grossed up and deducted from your income, so paying them can remove the charge entirely and move that money into your pension.

Should I opt out of Child Benefit payments or pay the charge?

If the charge is under 100%, keeping the payments and paying the charge through Self Assessment leaves you with some of the benefit. Opting out of payments avoids the bill but gives up that cash. If the charge is 100% the payments are worth nothing, so many people opt out of payment.

Should I still claim if my income is over £80,000?

Yes. Making the claim (and opting out of the payments) gives the claimant a National Insurance credit toward their state pension and registers the child's NI number.

Which Child Benefit rates does this use?

The fields are prefilled with the 2025/26 weekly rates of £26.05 for the eldest child and £17.25 for each other child. Rates are reset each April, so check GOV.UK and edit them for your year.

Is my data uploaded anywhere?

No. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is sent.