Adjusted Net Income
£61,560.00
In or above the taper band
Tax workspace
UK Child Benefit Tax Charge Calculator
Start with the higher earner, the claimant, and the household claim details so the HICBC position is clear before you open the full planner.
Tax year: 2025-26
Related toolsChild Benefit chargeANI calculatorSalary sacrificePayslip tax toolBrowse all toolsOpen full Tax planner
Using 2025-26 Child Benefit ratesHICBC taper applied liveDraft saved in this browser
Annual Child Benefit
£2,251.60
2 children for 12 months
Estimated HICBC charge
£175.62
8% of the current claim exposed
Net benefit kept
£2,075.98
£1,560.00 reducer needed to clear the taper start
Household claim
Who claims it and who is the higher earner?
Higher earner
Child Benefit claimant
Higher-earner income
Use the income of the person HMRC tests for HICBC
ANI reducers
Pension and Gift Aid that could pull the charge back down
Current read
Where the household sits now
Household setup
Partner claims it, but you is still the HICBC test earner.
HICBC follows the higher earner, not necessarily the person receiving the Child Benefit payment.
Current taper status
Inside £60,000.00-£80,000.00
The current higher-earner setup is already inside or above the taper band.
Next move
Likely Child Benefit charge: £175.62
£1,560.00 of gross pension or Gift Aid reduction would bring the higher earner back to the taper start.
Reducer needed
£1,560.00
Gross pension or Gift Aid reduction needed to get back under the taper start.
Benefit retained
£2,075.98
What the household keeps after the current estimated charge.
Save setup
Save this household tax setup
Carry the same household claim details into Tax, keep the HICBC view live, and model contribution fixes without retyping.
Create free account to saveSave or share this household read
Estimated HICBC £175.62. Household keeps £2,075.98 after the current charge.
Who this helps
Who this Child Benefit calculator is for
Use this when a household is already claiming Child Benefit and the higher earner may be close to the HICBC taper. It is designed to show who the charge follows, how much of the claim is exposed, and what gross reduction would move the household back under the taper start.
Why households usually need a dedicated HICBC check
The Child Benefit charge is a household problem, but the threshold test follows one person’s adjusted net income. That is why it helps to separate the household claim from the underlying ANI calculation before moving into the broader tax planner.
What this helps you decide
Built for households, not just one payslip
This calculator is for households already claiming Child Benefit or deciding whether the current claim still makes sense at the higher earner’s income.
The higher earner is the key test
The charge follows the higher earner’s adjusted net income, even when the Child Benefit payment goes to the other partner.
Pension and Gift Aid can change the result
Gross pension contributions and Gift Aid can reduce ANI enough to lower or remove the charge.
Useful before annual income changes
This is a good first check before a bonus, pay rise, or pension change shifts the household into a different HICBC position.
Common questions
How does the Child Benefit tax charge work?
The High Income Child Benefit Charge is tested against the higher earner in the household. As adjusted net income rises through the taper band, more of the Child Benefit received becomes repayable through tax.
When does the charge start?
For the current UK rules used by Seedli, the taper starts once adjusted net income moves above the HICBC start threshold for the selected tax year.
Does the claimant have to be the higher earner?
No. The person claiming Child Benefit can be different from the person whose income triggers the charge. The test follows the higher earner, not necessarily the claimant.
Can pension contributions reduce the Child Benefit charge?
Yes. If pension contributions reduce the higher earner’s adjusted net income, they can reduce or eliminate the charge.
Related calculators
Related calculators for the same household tax problem
Adjusted Net Income calculator
Use the ANI calculator when you want the underlying threshold figure without the household claim setup.
Salary sacrifice calculator
Use salary sacrifice when the likely fix is extra pension through payroll and you want to see the take-home trade-off.
Tax and payslip planner
Open the full tax planner when you want the Child Benefit read carried into a wider tax setup with PAYE anchors and scenario testing.
Save this setup in Seedli
Keep the household claim setup and continue inside Seedli
Seedli saves the claimant, higher-earner, and contribution context so you can keep testing HICBC fixes without rebuilding the same household setup.
Create free account to saveUseful guides
Guides that help before or after the household charge check
These pages explain the wider ANI and claiming decisions that sit around the HICBC calculation.
How to calculate adjusted net income from a payslip
Use one pay run as a starting point, then see which deductions and adjustments matter before you rely on the ANI result.
£100k tax trap calculator
See how far ANI is above £100,000, how much Personal Allowance is at risk, and which reductions would clear the taper.
Opt out of Child Benefit or keep claiming?
Understand the trade-off between receiving the payment, paying the charge, and keeping National Insurance credits in the household.
Salary sacrifice vs private pension calculator
Compare two common pension funding routes and see why the take-home cost can differ even when ANI does not.
Pension contribution calculator UK
Check how extra pension funding changes ANI, take-home, and the distance to HICBC or the £100k taper.
How HICBC works for two-income households
Separate claimant, higher earner, and household cashflow so the Child Benefit decision is based on the right person.