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Estimate the Tax-Free Childcare top-up for your household and check the main eligibility inputs.
Applying your shared or saved childcare inputs…
Advanced eligibility inputs
Pension, Gift Aid and selected eligibility details.
Enter annual costs for each child.
Run configured server-side validation and calculation.
Tax year 2026/27
Eligible annual top-up estimate
£2,000.00
Monthly equivalent
£166.67
Instant estimate. A full calculation applies configured server-side rules.
Potential amount only unless the core checks pass; eligibility is assessed separately. Annual scenarios use the entered child-cost proportions and each child’s cap.
| Annual childcare cost | Potential annual top-up |
|---|---|
| £0.00 | £0.00 |
| £1,875.00 | £375.00Positive modelled amount |
| £3,750.00 | £750.00Positive modelled amount |
| £5,625.00 | £1,125.00Positive modelled amount |
| £7,500.00 | £1,500.00Positive modelled amount |
| £9,375.00 | £1,875.00Positive modelled amount |
| £11,250.00 | £2,000.00Positive modelled amount |
| £12,000.00 | £2,000.00Positive modelled amount |
| £13,125.00 | £2,000.00Positive modelled amount |
| £15,000.00 | £2,000.00Positive modelled amount |
Compare each child’s annual cost, eligible cost within the cap and potential government top-up.
| Child | Cost | Cost within cap | Potential top-up | Top-up cap | Cap status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child 1 | £12,000.00 | £10,000.00 | £2,000.00Positive modelled amount | £2,000.00 | Reached |
| Total | £12,000.00 | £10,000.00 | £2,000.00Positive modelled amount | — |
The £100,000 limit is assessed for each adult separately, not as a combined household-income cap.
| Adult | Adjusted net income | Individual limit |
|---|---|---|
| You | £36,000.00 | £100,000.00 |
This 2026/27 screen annualises the threshold. HMRC normally checks expected earnings in the next three months; specific averaging or self-employment rules can apply.
| Adult | Qualifying earnings | Annualised minimum proxy |
|---|---|---|
| You | £36,000.00Positive modelled amount | £10,574.72 |
This adult meets the core eligibility checks used by this tool.
Tax-Free Childcare is a UK-wide scheme that can add £2 for every £8 paid into an eligible childcare account. This 2026/27 calculator estimates the annualised top-up and selected eligibility checks; it does not calculate devolved funded-hours offers or Universal Credit and is not an HMRC eligibility decision.
The clean-visit sample is identified beside the live result and every input is editable. Valid values in a shared URL take priority; omitted fields use consented saved inputs when available, then the sample. A link that excludes amounts does not put those amounts in its URL.
The screen checks entered age, work or selected exemption, annualised earnings, adjusted net income and selected incompatible support. A non-working exemption only passes when the entered household has a working partner; the screen does not verify the specific benefit or HMRC conditions. The other-support answer is a screening flag only and does not compare which childcare support is best.
For its adjusted-net-income estimate, the calculator grosses up net Gift Aid donations by 25% and deducts gross pension contributions only when they are not already reflected in taxable income. Use taxable pay after salary sacrifice or net-pay pension deductions, and enter benefits in kind separately; otherwise, ANI could be reduced twice.
The calculator does not verify provider registration, immigration or residence, foster-child status, grants or bursaries, or every qualifying leave and benefit condition. Confirm eligibility with the official service.
HMRC normally checks expected earnings over the relevant three-month period, with specific annual-average alternatives. The annualised earnings screen here is a proxy, does not select an apprentice-specific wage rate and can differ from your circumstances.
The scheme is UK-wide, but funded-hours and other childcare offers differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and are not calculated here. The top-up cap is £500 every three months per non-disabled child or £1,000 for a disabled child; this annualised estimate does not test payment timing. The API can apply configured rounding and validation, while the first result is an instant local estimate.
These GOV.UK resources support the Tax-Free Childcare, funded-hours, Universal Credit and pension explanations on this page. The calculator is a simplified estimate and does not confirm eligibility.