Tax year 2026/27

Employer relief check: could this hire cost less?

Before you approve the hire, check whether you're paying more employer National Insurance than you need to. We test your proposed hire against Employment Allowance, reduced employer-NI categories, salary sacrifice and other legitimate savings — then show what may apply, what it could save and what to do next.

Free, start to finish: the check, the result and the full written plan. Nothing to buy.

Check my potential saving — free →
Free 2-minute check · Personalised to your figures · Full plan included free
  • 2026/27 rules
  • Personalised to your figures
  • Official GOV.UK sources
  • Free, no sign-up

Find out

  • What the employee really costs you
  • Whether an employer-NI relief may apply
  • Whether unused Employment Allowance could reduce the bill
  • Whether salary sacrifice changes the cost
  • Whether a special NI category is relevant
  • How different savings interact (and which can't be combined)
  • What records and payroll changes may be required
  • The questions to give your payroll or accountant

How it works

  • Answer a few quick questions about the hire and your business (about 2 minutes).
  • See your potential saving and which reliefs are worth checking.
  • Open the full plan: how each saving is worked out, what can't be combined, and what to tell payroll. Print it or save it as a PDF from your browser.

Also included

A complete hiring business-case report with annual, monthly, weekly, daily and hourly costs — suitable for budgeting or internal approval.

Check my potential saving — free →

Estimates based on published 2026/27 rules. Not legal, tax or financial advice — confirm material decisions with payroll, HMRC guidance or a qualified adviser.

Written and reviewed by James Whitfield and the editorial team.

Every figure is checked against current HMRC and GOV.UK guidance and reviewed for the 2026/27 tax year. We explain the numbers in plain English with worked examples. Editorial standards · About us