Tax-Free Childcare Calculator UK
Calculate how much Tax-Free Childcare top-up you'll get. For every £8 you pay in, the government adds £2 — up to £2,000 per child a year (£4,000 if disabled). See monthly, quarterly and yearly figures plus how much to deposit for the full allowance.
Calculator
What this means
Tax-Free Childcare is a government scheme for working parents. You pay into an online childcare account and the government tops it up by 25% of what you deposit — £2 for every £8 — up to £500 per child every 3 months (£2,000 a year), or double that if your child is disabled. The money can only be paid to a registered childcare provider.
How to use this calculator
- Enter how much you'll pay into your Tax-Free Childcare account each month.
- Add the number of eligible children (and how many qualify for the disability top-up).
- See your government top-up monthly, quarterly and yearly — plus how much to deposit for the full allowance.
Worked example
You pay £400 a month into the account for one child.
- £400 × 12 = £4,800 paid in over the year.
- Government top-up at 25% = £1,200.
- Total available for childcare = £6,000.
You get £1,200 of free top-up — and still have £800 of annual allowance left if you pay in more.
Who this is for
- Working parents paying for nursery, a childminder or wraparound care.
- Parents comparing Tax-Free Childcare with Universal Credit childcare support.
- Anyone budgeting for school holiday clubs with a registered provider.
How Tax-Free Childcare top-up works
You open a childcare account on GOV.UK and pay money in. For every £8 you deposit, the government adds £2 — a 25% top-up on what you pay, which is 20% of the total that reaches your provider. The top-up is capped at £500 per child every 3 months (£2,000 a year), or £1,000 / £4,000 if your child is disabled.
You must usually reconfirm eligibility every 3 months. The money can only be paid to registered childcare providers. You can't use Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as Universal Credit childcare support or employer childcare vouchers.
Getting the full allowance
To unlock the maximum £2,000 top-up for one child, pay in £8,000 over the year (spread across the four quarterly eligibility periods). Anything above that still sits in the account to pay your provider, but it won't earn more top-up until the next period.
Frequently asked questions
For every £8 you pay into your Tax-Free Childcare account, the government adds £2. That is a 25% top-up on your deposit, which means the government covers 20% of the total that goes to your childcare provider — up to the quarterly and annual caps.
Up to £500 every 3 months per child (£2,000 a year). If your child is disabled, that rises to £1,000 every 3 months (£4,000 a year). To unlock the full £2,000 you need to pay in £8,000 over the year.
Usually both parents (or the single parent) must work and each earn under £100,000 a year, with earnings of at least the National Minimum Wage for 16 hours a week on average. Your child must usually be under 11, or under 17 if disabled. You must reconfirm eligibility every 3 months.
No. You cannot claim Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit childcare support at the same time. Compare which scheme leaves you better off before you switch.
The name is a bit misleading. You're not getting tax relief on your pay — the government simply tops up your childcare account by 25% of what you deposit, up to the annual cap. That works out as 20% of the total paid to your provider until you hit the limit.
You can usually use Tax-Free Childcare alongside funded free hours. Use free hours first, then pay for any extra hours or wraparound care through your Tax-Free Childcare account to claim the top-up on those costs.
Disclaimer
This calculator provides estimates for guidance only. It is not financial, legal or tax advice. Always check official sources or speak to a qualified professional before making decisions.
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