Scottish Income Tax rates 2026/27
Income Tax is devolved, so Scotland has six bands where the rest of the UK has three.
| Band | Rate | Taxable income |
|---|---|---|
| Personal allowance | 0% | Up to £12,570 |
| Starter rate | 19% | £12,571 – £16,537 |
| Basic rate | 20% | £16,538 – £29,526 |
| Intermediate rate | 21% | £29,527 – £43,662 |
| Higher rate | 42% | £43,663 – £75,000 |
| Advanced rate | 45% | £75,001 – £125,140 |
| Top rate | 48% | Over £125,140 |
What actually differs
Only Income Tax on earnings is devolved. National Insurance, the £12,570 personal allowance, dividend tax and savings tax are all set UK-wide and are identical wherever you live.
A worked comparison
On a £35,000 salary a Scottish taxpayer pays £4,501 in Income Tax against £4,486 in England, Wales or Northern Ireland — a difference of £15 a year. Lower earners in Scotland pay slightly less because of the 19% starter rate; the position reverses higher up, where the 42% and 45% rates bite earlier than the rest of the UK's 40%.
Who counts as a Scottish taxpayer
It depends on where your main home is for most of the tax year, not where your employer is based or where you work. HMRC decides this from your address and applies an S prefix to your tax code — S1257L rather than 1257L. If you move, tell HMRC, because the prefix is what drives the rates your payroll applies.