Free Payslip Template UK
Download Employment Rights Act 1996-compliant payslip templates in Excel and Word โ free, no signup required
Excel Template with Automatic PAYE Formulas
The free templates below add up your rows โ this one calculates the tax itself. Type in the salary and PAYE, National Insurance and net pay calculate instantly using the official HMRC 2026/2027 tax tables. No formulas to build, no tax tables to look up.
- PAYE auto-calculated from HMRC 2026/2027 bands, with your tax code, plus student loan and pension deductions
- National Insurance at 8% between the primary threshold and the upper earnings limit, then 2% above it
- Employer view: employer National Insurance, Apprenticeship Levy and total cost-to-company
- Editable tax tables sheet โ update once a year, keep using it
- All 5 designs included: Classic Green, Corporate Blue, Executive Dark, Minimal Grayscale, Domestic Worker
- Plain formulas, no macros โ works in Excel, Google Sheets & LibreOffice
Sample values โ the yellow cells are inputs; PAYE, National Insurance and net pay calculate automatically in Excel.
All 5 designs included ยท Instant download after payment ยท Card, EFT or card via PayFast
Excel Payslip Template
Editable Excel (.xlsx) template with working formulas. Automatically calculates gross pay, total deductions, and net pay. Compatible with Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and LibreOffice Calc.
- Working SUM formulas for auto-calculation
- Pre-filled sample earnings and deductions
- Company logo placeholder
- Print-ready A4 layout
Word Payslip Template
Editable Word (.docx) document with a professional payslip layout. Easy to customise with your company details. Compatible with Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and LibreOffice Writer.
- Easy text editing and formatting
- Customisable company header
- Employee and employer signature fields
- Print-ready A4 layout
Industry-Specific Payslip Templates
Download payslip templates tailored to your industry โ with relevant earnings, deductions, and job titles pre-filled.
Mining & Resources
Includes Danger Pay, Shift Allowance, and Employers Liability deduction fields
Healthcare
Night Shift and On-Call Allowance fields for medical professionals
Agriculture
Seasonal Bonus and Transport Allowance for farm operations
Education
Research Allowance and Housing Allowance for academic staff
Hospitality
Tips / Service Charge and Meal Allowance for F&B teams
Legal & Professional
Professional Allowance and Cell Phone Allowance for law firms
Logistics & Transport
Driving Allowance and Overtime fields for fleet operations
NGO & Non-Profit
Field Allowance and Housing Allowance for development organisations
What Is a Payslip Template?
A payslip template is a pre-formatted document used by employers to record and communicate an employee's earnings and deductions for a specific pay period. In the United Kingdom, the Employment Rights Act 1996 (Employment Rights Act 1996) requires every employer to provide employees with a written payslip each time they are paid. A proper template ensures you include all legally required information and maintain consistent records for HMRC compliance.
Employment Rights Act 1996 Payslip Requirements โ What Must Be Included?
Section 33 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 sets out the minimum information that must appear on every payslip in the United Kingdom:
- Employer's name and address โ Your registered business name and physical address
- Employee's name and occupation โ The worker's full name and job title
- Period of payment โ The pay cycle (e.g. "1โ31 March 2026")
- Ordinary hours and wage โ Basic salary or hourly rate
- Overtime hours and payment โ If applicable, at 1.5x or 2x the normal rate
- Any other payments โ Allowances, bonuses, commissions, etc.
- Any deductions made โ PAYE, National Insurance, pension, private medical insurance, and any agreed deductions
- The actual amount paid โ Net pay (take-home amount)
Our templates include all of these fields plus additional useful information like the employer's PAYE and National Insurance reference numbers, employee ID, and a payslip reference number.
Payslip Format for the United Kingdom
A standard UK payslip format typically follows this structure:
- Header: Company name, logo, address, PAYE reference number, National Insurance reference number
- Employee section: Employee name, ID/passport number, job title, pay period
- Earnings: Basic salary, overtime, allowances (travel, housing), bonuses, commissions
- Deductions: PAYE income tax, National Insurance (1%), pension/provident fund, private medical insurance, other deductions
- Totals: Gross pay, total deductions, net pay (amount paid to employee)
- Year-to-date: Running totals for the tax year (optional but recommended)
Both our Excel and Word templates follow this standard format and are ready to use immediately.
How to Use the Payslip Template
- Download โ Choose the Excel or Word template above and save it to your device
- Add your company details โ Replace the placeholder text with your company name, address, and registration numbers
- Enter employee information โ Fill in the employee's name, ID, and job title
- Input earnings โ Enter the basic salary, overtime, allowances, and any other earnings
- Input deductions โ Enter PAYE, National Insurance, pension, private medical insurance, and other deductions
- Verify totals โ Check that gross pay, total deductions, and net pay are correct (the Excel template calculates these automatically)
- Save and distribute โ Save a copy for your records and provide the payslip to the employee
PAYE and National Insurance on Your Payslip
Two of the most important deductions on a UK payslip are PAYE and National Insurance:
PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is the income tax withheld from the employee's salary each month. It is calculated using the HMRC annual tax brackets (currently 18%โ45% for 2026/2027) and must be paid to HMRC monthly via the P32.
National Insurance is 1% of the employee's remuneration, with the employer contributing a matching 1%. The maximum monthly remuneration for National Insurance is ยฃ17,712. National Insurance provides financial relief for unemployed workers, maternity leave, and illness.
If you want these calculated automatically, use our payslip generator instead of a blank template โ it applies the latest HMRC tax tables automatically.
Payslip Template vs Payslip Generator โ Which Should I Use?
Use the template if you prefer working in Excel or Word, want full control over the layout, or need to integrate with existing spreadsheet workflows. Templates are ideal for businesses that already calculate PAYE manually or use an accountant.
Use the payslip generator if you want automatic PAYE and National Insurance calculations, professional PDF output, multiple template designs, and the ability to email payslips directly to employees. The generator is faster and eliminates manual calculation errors.
Frequently Asked Questions โ Payslip Templates
What must a UK payslip include by law?
Section 33 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 requires: employer name and address, employee name and occupation, pay period, remuneration in money, any deductions made, and the actual amount paid (net pay). Failure to provide a payslip can result in a fine from the an employment tribunal.
Can I use these templates for domestic workers?
Yes. Domestic workers in the United Kingdom are covered by the Employment Rights Act 1996, which means they are entitled to a written payslip. These templates include all legally required fields for domestic worker payslips.
Are these payslip templates free?
The basic Excel and Word downloads are completely free with no signup required โ you can download and use them as many times as you need. We also offer an optional premium Excel template with automatic PAYE, National Insurance, and medical tax credit formulas for a once-off fee.
What is the difference between a payslip and a pay stub?
They are the same document โ a record of earnings and deductions for a pay period. "Payslip" is the standard term in the United Kingdom, the UK, Australia, and India. "Pay stub" is the American and Canadian term. "Salary slip" is common in India and the Philippines.
Do I need to keep copies of payslips?
Yes. UK employers are required to keep payroll records for at least 3 years (as per the Employment Rights Act 1996) and 5 years for HMRC purposes. The templates make it easy to save copies in your preferred format.
How do I calculate PAYE for the payslip?
PAYE is calculated using HMRC annual tax brackets applied to the employee's taxable income, minus any rebates. For automatic calculation, use our payslip generator or the PAYE calculator.