Additional Rate
The highest income tax rate in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, charged at 45% on taxable income above £125,140. In Scotland, the top rate is 48% above the same threshold. Income above £100,000 also triggers the Personal Allowance taper, so very high earners lose their tax-free allowance entirely before reaching this band.
How it works
The additional rate only applies to the slice of your taxable income that sits above £125,140 — it is a marginal rate, not a flat rate charged on your whole income. Because the Personal Allowance is fully withdrawn by the time your income reaches £125,140 through the Personal Allowance Taper, additional-rate taxpayers get no tax-free slice at all, so effectively their entire income is taxable.
Savings interest and dividend income are treated as the top slice of your income for tax purposes, so if you are already an additional-rate taxpayer, any further dividends are taxed at the additional dividend rate rather than the basic or higher dividend rate. This stacking order matters for anyone deciding whether to draw income as salary, dividends, or savings interest near the top of the income scale.
Most people who fall into the additional rate report their income through Self Assessment rather than relying solely on PAYE, because HMRC's payroll tax codes are not well suited to capturing every source of income at this level accurately. Many additional-rate taxpayers also find that pension contributions become especially valuable, since 45% relief on the way in is the most generous available.
Example: tax on £150,000 of income
With income of £150,000, the Personal Allowance is fully withdrawn because income exceeds £125,140, so the whole £150,000 is taxable. That also shifts every band boundary down by £12,570, because the bands apply to taxable income after any allowance.
The first £37,700 of taxable income is taxed at the basic rate of 20%, giving £7,540. The next £74,870 is taxed at the higher rate of 40%, giving £29,948.
The remaining £37,430 is taxed at the additional rate of 45%, giving £16,843.50. Total tax comes to £54,331.50, an effective rate of just over 36% on the full £150,000.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay the additional rate on all of my income?
No. It only applies to the portion of your taxable income above £125,140 — income below that threshold is still taxed at the basic and higher rates in the usual way.
Does the additional rate work the same way in Scotland?
No. Scotland's equivalent top band is called the Top Rate and is charged at 48%, three percentage points higher than the 45% additional rate paid in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Why do I not get any Personal Allowance if I pay the additional rate?
Because the Personal Allowance is withdrawn at £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000 and is fully gone by £125,140, which is also where the additional rate begins.
Related Terms
Basic Rate
The standard income tax rate of 20% applied to taxable income between the Personal Allowance and the higher-rate threshold, currently £12,571 to £50,270 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Higher Rate
The income tax rate of 40% applied to taxable income above £50,270 up to £125,140 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Personal Allowance
The amount of income you can earn in a tax year before paying income tax, currently £12,570 and frozen until April 2031 (the freeze was extended by three years at the Autumn Budget 2025).
Personal Allowance Taper
The gradual withdrawal of the Personal Allowance for people with adjusted net income above £100,000, reducing it by £1 for every £2 of income above that level.
Tax Bands
The ranges of taxable income to which different income tax rates apply, creating the UK's progressive tax system.
Try the calculator
Use our free tool to see how additional rate affects your tax.