2024/25 |
£ A Year |
2025/26 |
£ A Year |
|---|---|---|---|
Starting rate (0%) |
0 - 5,000 |
Starting rate (0%) |
0 - 5,000 |
Basic (20%) |
1 - 37,700 |
Basic (20%) |
1 - 37,700 |
Higher (40%) |
37,701 - 125,140 |
Higher (40%) |
37,701 - 125,140 |
Additional rate (45%) |
Over 125,140 |
Additional rate (45%) |
Over 125,140 |
Investments & Taxation
Income tax rates and order of tax
Last Updated: 6 Apr 25 9 min read
Contents
1. Key Points
3. Income tax rates and taxable bands
6. Payment of tax on savings income
7. Payment of tax on dividend income
Learn how different types of income are taxed and how they fit into an individual’s income tax calculation.
Key Points
- The Scottish Parliament has the power to set income tax rates and bands that apply to Scottish taxpayers’ non-savings, non-dividend income
- From April 2019, the Welsh Government has the power to set income tax rates applicable to non-savings and non-dividend income for Welsh taxpayers
- In 2025/26, the Welsh rates of income tax are such that the rates of income tax paid remain the same as those paid by English and NI taxpayers
- The dividend nil rate in 2025/26 is £500
- The amount of tax-free Personal Savings ‘Allowance’ depends on adjusted net income
- Interest paid by banks, building societies and open ended investment companies is paid gross
Different rates of tax
Tax legislation (S6 Income Tax Act (ITA) 2007) states that there are three 'main' rates at which income tax is charged and three 'other' rates.
The main rates are:
- Basic rate
- Higher rate
- Additional rate
The other rates are:
- Starting rate for savings
- Dividend rates – ordinary, upper and additional
- Trust rate and dividend trust rate
Income tax rates and taxable bands
The Scotland Act 2012 gave the Scottish Parliament the power to set the Scottish Rate of Income Tax (SRIT). In due course, SRIT came into effect on 6 April 2016.
The Scotland Act 2016 then built on these powers and allowed the Scottish Parliament the power to set income tax rates and bands that apply to Scottish taxpayers' non-savings, non-dividend income for tax years beginning 2017/18. For 2025/26 the Scottish rates and bands are as follows
Bands |
Band Name |
Rates (%) |
|---|---|---|
Over £12,570* - £15,397 |
Starter Rate |
19 |
Over £15,397- £27,491 |
Basic Rate |
20 |
Over £27,491 - £43,662 |
Intermediate Rate |
21 |
Over £43,662 - £75,000 |
Higher Rate |
42 |
| Over £75,000 - £125,140** | Advanced Rate | 45 |
Above £125,140** |
Top Rate |
48 |
* Assumes person is in receipt of the Standard UK Personal Allowance
** Personal Allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000 and can be reduced to nil.
The personal allowance and thresholds and taxes on savings and dividends remain a UK 'reserved' matter. Capital gains tax has not been devolved (nor National Insurance contributions, inheritance tax, or corporation tax).
The starting rate for savings applies to savings income only. If an individual’s taxable non-savings income exceeds the starting rate limit, then the 0% starting rate for savings will not be available. As detailed below, non-savings income (but not dividends) takes priority over savings income in a tax calculation and therefore the 0% starting rate is not available where non savings income exceeds the personal allowance plus £5,000.
From 6 April 2016, the government abolished the dividend tax credit and introduced a dividend nil rate. In 2025/26 the rates of tax on dividend income above the ‘allowance’ are:
- 8.75% for dividends in the basic rate band
- 33.75% for dividends in the higher rate band
- 39.35% for dividends in the additional rate band
The dividend nil rate in 2025/26 is £500.
From 6 April 2016, a tax-free personal savings ‘allowance’ (PSA) of £1,000 was introduced. The amount of PSA depends on adjusted net income. Up to £50,270 the PSA is £1,000, then £500 up to £125,140, then zero. The use of the word ‘allowance’ is misleading as it is, in fact, a zero rate tax band. Adjusted net income is total taxable income before any personal allowances and less certain deductions such as gross gift aid payments and gross relief at source pension contributions.
For the avoidance of doubt, income from an ISA, and income which qualifies for the 0% starting rate for savings will not use up any part of an individual’s PSA.
Order of taxation
Savings and dividend income is the highest part of a person's total income. The rules are set out in S16 ITA 2007:
- If a person has savings income but no dividend income, the savings income is treated as the highest part of total income.
- If a person has dividend income but no savings income, the dividend income is treated as the highest part of total income.
- If a person has both savings and dividend income, the amounts taken together are treated as the highest part of total income, and the dividend income is taken as the higher part of the combined amount.
Broadly, therefore, the first slice of a person’s income comprises earnings, pensions, taxable social security payments trading profits and income from property. The next slice is savings income, and dividend income is the top slice. Onshore and offshore insurance bond gains are discussed below.
Interest distributions from unit trusts and open-ended investment companies are taxed at the rates for savings income.
Saving income is defined in S18 ITA 2007 and includes interest from savings accounts held with banks, building societies, NS&I and credit unions; as well as interest distributions from authorised unit trusts and open-ended investment companies. Savings income also includes income which is equivalent to interest, such as the profit on government or company bonds which are issued at a discount or repayable at a premium, and income from certain alternative finance arrangements. Other types of savings income include purchased life annuity payments and insurance bond gains.
If it is an onshore bond gain, the gain is treated as the highest part of total income (S465A ITTOIA 2005). If, however, the gain is from an offshore bond then it is simply classed as savings income. Accordingly, in the order of taxation an offshore bond gain comes before dividend income, but an onshore bond gain comes after dividend income. When you come to calculate top slicing relief, then bond gains and slices are treated as the ‘highest part’ and therefore both onshore and offshore gains and slices come after dividends in the top slicing relief calculation.
Receiving savings income
Banks and building societies pay interest gross rather than under deduction of tax. As mentioned above, the PSA applies to all types of savings income and this includes interest distributions from open ended investment companies (OEICs) and authorised unit trusts. Interest from these collective investments is also paid gross.
Payment of tax on savings income
Income that is within an individual’s PSA will still count towards their basic or higher rate limits – and may therefore affect the level of PSA they are entitled to, and the rate of tax that is due on any savings income they receive in excess of the PSA.
Examples of basic and higher rate taxpayers receiving interest within and in excess of their PSA
Basic rate
Abby earns £20,000 a year and receives £250 bank interest. She will not pay any tax on the interest as it is lower than her £1,000 PSA.
Bert earns £20,000 a year and receives £1,500 bank interest. He will not pay any tax on interest up to £1,000. He will however need to pay basic rate tax (20%) on the £500 interest over his PSA.
Higher rate
Clarissa earns £60,000 a year and receives £250 bank interest. She will not pay any tax on the interest as it is lower than her £500 PSA.
Donald earns £60,000 a year and receives £1,100 bank interest. He will not pay tax on interest up to £500, but will need to pay higher rate tax (40%) on the £600 interest over his PSA.
Payment of tax on dividend income
In addition to the details stated above, it should be noted that:
- The nil rate is available to anyone who has dividend income.
- Dividend income is defined at S19 of the Income Tax Act (ITA) 2007 and includes dividends from UK resident and non UK resident companies, as well as some other types of distributions and things that are treated as distributions.
- Dividends received by pension funds, and dividends received on shares held in an ISA continue to be tax free.
- The dividend nil rate does not reduce an individual’s total income for tax purposes (but it will mean that the individual does not have to pay any tax on the first £500 of dividend income received in 2025/26).
- Dividends within the nil rate will still count towards an individual’s basic or higher rate band and may therefore affect the rate of tax paid on dividends in excess of £500.
Examples of basic and higher rate taxpayers receiving dividends in excess of the dividend nil rate (2025/26)
Esther earns a salary of £18,920, and receives dividends of £19,000 outside of an ISA.
Her personal allowance of £12,570 is set off against her salary meaning that the remaining £6,350 is taxed at basic rate.
With regard to her £19,000 of dividends, the first £500 is taxed at nil and the balance of £18,500 is taxed at 8.75%.
Fred earns a salary of £42,420, and receives dividends of £8,000 outside of an ISA.
His personal allowance of £12,570 is set off against his salary meaning that £29,850 is taxed at basic rate.
This leaves £7,850 of income that can be earned within the basic rate limit before the higher rate threshold is crossed. Remember that regardless of whether Fred is a Scottish taxpayer, when taxing these dividends, the Scottish threshold is ignored and instead the UK threshold applies. The dividend nil rate covers the first £500. The remaining £7,500 of dividends are taxed as follows – £7,350 at 8.75% and £150 taxed at 33.75%.
Tax exempt savings and investment income
The exemptions include:
- Interest or similar sums, and any terminal bonus, payable under a Save as You Earn (SAYE) scheme
- Certain types of income from National Savings and Investments
- Income from Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs)
- Venture capital trust dividends
- The exempt capital element of purchased life annuities
- Interest received on an over-repayment of a student loan
Joint accounts
Where interest arises on an account held in the joint names of spouses or civil partners, each will normally be taxable on half of the interest, under S836 ITA 2007. Where, however, their beneficial entitlement to interest (or any other income from a jointly owned asset) is not actually 50:50, the individuals may jointly elect to be taxed on their actual entitlement.
Where a savings account or other source of interest is owned jointly by persons who are not spouses or civil partners, each will be taxed on the interest to corresponding to actual entitlement. In most cases, the practical result is that interest will be split equally between the account-holders. This is because bank, building society or similar accounts in joint names are normally in joint ownership. This means that each account holder is entitled jointly to all of the funds in the account, and interest is paid to the account holders jointly. It does not matter how much money each has contributed.
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