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Step-by-Step Routes

Money Journeys

These are route maps through the site for common real-life situations. They are designed to reduce the "which page do I even open first?" problem by giving you a short sequence and a reason for each stop.

By · Reviewed

Quick routes

Need a route by life event?

The Decision Centre turns pay rises, childcare, home buying, HMRC letters, investing and retirement into printable action plans.

Save along the way

Most journeys get more useful if you save a base case and a second scenario before moving on. By default they are stored only on this device.

Journey 1

Buying your first home

Use this route when the question is not just "can I afford the mortgage?" but "what is the full financial shape of buying?" One figure to know: in England and Northern Ireland, first-time buyers pay no Stamp Duty Land Tax on the first £300,000 of a home costing up to £500,000, and 5% on the part from £300,001 to £500,000. Scotland and Wales have their own taxes and reliefs.

1. Check whether buying even beats renting.Rent vs Buy Calculator for the big-picture decision before you commit to the process.
2. Read the process.First-Time Buyer Guide for the steps, timeline, and common mistakes.
3. Price the borrowing.Mortgage Calculator to test monthly cost, term, and overpayments.
4. Add the nation-specific buying cost.Stamp Duty Calculator plus the UK Rules by Nation page so the purchase tax sits in the same picture as the deposit.
Journey 2

New parent money guide

Best for households trying to understand how children, take-home pay, and longer-term saving choices interact. Two figures to know: the High Income Child Benefit Charge starts when either partner's adjusted net income goes over £60,000 and takes back all of the Child Benefit at £80,000; and Tax-Free Childcare adds £2 for every £8 you pay in, up to £2,000 a year per child (£4,000 if the child is disabled).

1. Check the family-income pinch point.Child Benefit / HICBC Calculator if either income is moving up the ladder.
2. Plan the leave pattern.Maternity Pay Planner or Shared Parental Leave Planner so the cashflow change is visible early.
3. Check childcare support before nursery starts.Tax-Free Childcare Chooser plus the nation guide if you are outside England.
4. Sweep the couple-level allowances.Marriage Allowance Checker and the Junior ISA guide for the simpler wins people forget.
Journey 3

From £50k to £100k salary

Designed for the part of the income range where higher-rate tax, student loans, the Child Benefit charge and then the Personal Allowance taper stack on top of one another. In 2026/27 (outside Scotland) the 40% rate starts at £50,271, the Child Benefit charge runs from £60,000 to £80,000 of adjusted net income, and the £12,570 Personal Allowance falls by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000, reaching zero at £125,140.

1. See the whole payslip.Tax Drag Calculator to locate the current drag points.
2. Check the ANI number behind the scenes.Adjusted Net Income Calculator to see which cliffs are actually in range.
3. Model the next jump.Bonus / Pay Rise Calculator for incremental income.
4. Test the pension lever.Salary Sacrifice Calculator to measure what the contribution really costs.
5. Learn the trap before you hit it.60% tax trap guide if £100k is in sight.
Journey 4

Starting to invest in the UK

Good for people who know they should be using wrappers, but are not yet clear on the order, trade-offs, or tax leakage outside them. One figure to know: you can pay up to £20,000 a year into ISAs, and income and gains inside them are tax-free. From 6 April 2027, people under 65 will be able to put no more than £12,000 of that into cash ISAs.

1. Build intuition first.Compound Interest Calculator for the basic growth maths.
2. Learn the wrapper order.ISA vs Pension to compare flexibility with tax relief.
3. Measure the drag.ISA vs GIA Calculator to see what taxable investing costs over time.
4. Check the taxable edges you may hit first.Savings Interest Tax Calculator and Shares CGT Calculator for the common leaks outside wrappers.
5. Pick sensible building blocks.ETF Guide before you buy the wrong fund for the right reason.
Journey 5

Contracting, side income and admin

Best for people whose work setup is getting more complicated and who need to know whether HMRC, tax codes, or business structure are the real issue. Two rules to know: the first £1,000 a year of gross trading income is covered by the trading allowance; and if you need to file a tax return for the first time, you must tell HMRC by 5 October after the end of the tax year (5 October 2026 for 2025/26).

1. Check whether HMRC expects a return.Side Hustle / Self Assessment Checker for the first compliance answer.
2. Compare the work setups.Umbrella vs PAYE vs Limited Company Checker for a first-pass structure comparison.
3. Price the extraction choice.Dividend vs Salary Calculator if the limited-company route is genuinely on the table.
4. Keep the deadlines visible.2026/27 changes and the UK tax calendar so the admin does not become the expensive part.

Official sources for these figures

The figures in the journey introductions were checked on 3 October 2026 against:

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Pages are checked against the primary sources listed on each page and reviewed by the Editor; corrections are logged in the changelog. Pages are drafted with the help of AI tools (how AI is used). No affiliate revenue. No sponsored content. No paid placements.

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UK Tax Drag is an independent publication by Finsolve Consulting Limited, not affiliated with or endorsed by HMRC, GOV.UK or any government body.