Tax-Free Childcare Calculator

Eligibility Checker

Advanced Savings Projection

Childcare Cost Breakdown

Educational Resources

Explore our resources on Tax-Free Childcare, eligibility, and tips for managing costs.

Easily Calculate How Much the Government Will Contribute to Your Childcare

Do you know your total childcare costs but find it tricky to figure out how much to pay into your account to receive the government’s contribution?

Our tax free childcare calculator makes it simple! Only need to enter your childcare expenses, and instantly see how much the government will support you. Plan smarter and safer to save more, and secure the best for your child’s future.

What You Can Use the Tax-Free Childcare Calculator For

The tax free childcare calculator helps parents understand how much support they can get from the government to cover their childcare costs. You can use this scheme to pay for approved childcare providers such as:

Childminders, nurseries, and nannies
After-school clubs and play schemes

Before you make a payment, check that your childcare provider is registered under the Tax-Free Childcare scheme. Only approved providers can receive payments through your government childcare account.

If Your Child Has Special Needs

If your child is special, you can use our tax free childcare calculator to plan extra childcare hours f

\]or support. The government’s contribution can help you to pay for additional care or specialist equipment like mobility aids. Have a chat with your childcare provider about what equipment your child can benefit from.

Who Can Get Tax-Free Childcare

Your eligibility depends on:

Whether you’re working (employed, self-employed, or a company director)
Your income and your partner’s income
Your child’s age and situation
Your immigration status

If You’re Working

You may be eligible if you (and your spouse, if relevant) are:

In work
On sick leave or annual leave
On shared parental, maternity, paternity, or adoption leave and returning to work within 31 days of applying

If You’re Not Working

You may still qualify if your partner works and you receive one of the following:

Incapacity Benefit
Severe Disablement Allowance
Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment (Scotland)
Employment and Support Allowance based on Contributions

You can also apply if you’re starting or restarting work within 31 days.

Income Requirements

Over the next three months, you and your partner must each expect to earn at least:

£2,379 if you’re aged 21 or over
£1,788 if you’re aged 18 to 20
£1,331 if you’re under 18 or an apprentice

This equals the National Minimum or Living Wage for 16 hours per week on average.

You can use your average yearly income if:

You work all year but are not paid regularly
You’re self-employed and expect lower income in the next three months

For instance, you are still eligible if you are 21 years of age or older and make about £9,518 annually, as that amounts to roughly £2,379 every three months.

Even if your profits are lower, you may still qualify if you have worked for yourself for less than a year.

If you have multiple jobs, you can use your total combined earnings. This includes both employment and self-employment income.

Income That Doesn’t Count

Some income types don’t count toward your eligibility, such as:

Dividends
Investment property income
Interest
Pension payments

If your adjusted net income is over £100,000 in the current tax year, you won’t be eligible.

Your Child’s Eligibility

Your child must usually live with you and be 11 or under. On September 1st, following their eleventh birthday, they lose their eligibility.

Foster children are not eligible, but adopted children are.

If your child has a disability, you can get up to £4,000 each year until September 1st of the year after their 16th birthday. In order for your child to qualify, they need to:

Get the Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, or a comparable payment.
Have a blind or seriously sight-impaired certification.

Immigration and Residency Rules

To use tax free childcare, you must have a National Insurance number and one of the following:

British or Irish citizenship
Settled or pre-settled status (or have applied for it)
Permission to access public funds

If you a citizen of European country like,Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein, you may still qualify.:

Your work area is in UK
You began working before 1 January 2021
You’ve worked in the UK at least once every 12 months

This is known as being a frontier worker, and you must show your permit when applying.

Why Use Our Tax Free Childcare Calculator

A reliable and easy method to calculate your government contribution is to use our tax free childcare calculator. It assists parents in creating childcare budgets, comprehending eligibility, and confidently making wise financial decisions..

Start now find out how much you can save and make the most of your benefits today.

Tax-Free Childcare Calculator: What are the chances to get it, If You Already Receive Other Benefits?

You are unable to claim Tax-Free Childcare concurrently if you currently get Universal Credit, Tax Credits, or Childcare Vouchers.

The ideal choice for your family, however, It will rely on your particular financial circumstances. Our Tax-Free Childcare Calculator can help you examine your alternatives for support and select the one that will benefit you the most.

Tax Credits and Tax-Free Childcare

If you successfully apply for Tax-Free Childcare, your Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit will automatically stop. Once they end, you cannot reapply for them.

That’s why it’s important to use our tax free childcare calculator first it shows you whether you’ll receive more help under the Tax-Free Childcare scheme or by keeping your Tax Credits. This ensures you make the most financially smart decision before switching.

Childcare Vouchers

If you’re using Childcare Vouchers or Directly Contracted Childcare through your employer, you’ll need to tell your employer within 90 days after applying for Tax-Free Childcare.

Your employer will then stop your voucher payments, and you might need to give HMRC proof that you’ve left the scheme for example, a letter confirming you’re no longer part of the Childcare Voucher program.

If your partner receives childcare vouchers, they must also stop theirs within 90 days.
Use our Tax-Free Childcare Calculator to check whether moving from vouchers to the new scheme is worth it for you.

Universal Credit and Tax-Free Childcare

If you get Universal Credit, don’t cancel your claim immediately.
Wait until you receive confirmation that your Tax-Free Childcare application has been approved. Once you’re accepted, your Universal Credit payments will stop automatically.

The tax free childcare calculator can help you understand how much support you’ll get from the government, so you can decide whether switching is a good choice before making any changes.

Childcare Bursaries and Grants

If you or your partner are currently getting a childcare bursary or grant, or you expect to receive one in the next three months, you won’t be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare during that period.
It’s best to wait until your bursary or grant ends before applying.

Applying for Tax-Free Childcare

When you apply for Tax-Free Childcare, if someone else already gets 15 or 30 hours of free childcare for the same child, their funding will stop at the end of the next term.
After that, you’ll become eligible for the free childcare hours under your new Tax-Free Childcare account.

If you’re applying with a partner, both of you must use a single joint account you cannot each have separate accounts for the same child.

If You Have a Partner

You must include your partner in your application if:

You’re married or in a civil partnership and live together, or
You’re living together as if you’re married or in a civil partnership.

Your partner’s employment or income will not affect your eligibility if they are:

Away from home for more than six months, or
A prisoner.

Only one of you may claim Tax-Free Childcare for the same child if you and your partner are not together.

Both of you must apply if you cannot agree on who should, and HMRC will determine who is eligible.

Make the Smart Choice for Your Family

Before you decide which benefit to claim, use our Childcare Calculator to see exactly how much help you’ll get.
It’s free, quick, and built to help UK parents compare benefits so you can make an informed decision that supports your child and saves you more money each month.

Start your calculation today and take the guesswork out of childcare costs.

Start Saving Smarter Today

Childcare shouldn’t feel like a financial burden. With our Tax-Free Childcare Calculator, you can instantly discover how much the UK Government could contribute to your childcare costs and make the most of every pound you earn.

Start your calculation today it only takes a minute to see how much you could save!