YouTube money calculator (UK)

Estimate what your channel could earn from AdSense using your monthly views and RPM, then see roughly how much Income Tax and National Insurance you would set aside.

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Part of our guide to creator tax guide UK.

Quick answer

This YouTube money calculator multiplies your monetised views by an RPM range to estimate your AdSense payout, then applies 2026/27 UK tax rates. Most UK channels see an RPM between roughly £1 and £5, but your YouTube Studio figure is the one to use.

Try it

Use the tool

YouTube money calculator

Estimated monthly payout£200 – £800
Estimated yearly payout (mid-point)£6,000
Tax and NIC if this were your only income£0
Left after tax (before expenses)£6,000

RPM (revenue per 1,000 views, after YouTube's share) varies by niche, audience country, season and ad types. Adjust the range to match your YouTube Studio analytics. Tax uses 2026/27 rates for a sole trader with no other income and no expenses. General information only, based on 2026/27 UK rules. Not personal advice. Speak to us about your circumstances.

Who this is for

Is this you?

New Partner Programme members

Just monetised and wondering what a typical month could look like.

Growing channels

Planning whether YouTube income could replace a salary.

Creators budgeting for tax

Want to know how much of each AdSense payment to set aside.

Brands and managers

Sense-checking what a channel earns before agreeing a sponsorship fee.

Income streams

Everything we handle for you

  • AdSense long-form revenue
  • Shorts revenue share
  • Channel memberships
  • Super Chat and Super Thanks
  • YouTube Premium revenue
  • Sponsorships (not included in calculator)

Sound familiar?

Problems you face, answered

Tax explained

How youtube money calculator works

The YouTube money calculator starts with the number most creators care about: views. Multiply your monthly monetised views by your RPM and divide by 1,000 to get an estimated payout. We show a low and high figure because RPM rarely stays still.

YouTube keeps 45% of ad revenue on long-form videos and pays 55% to the creator. For Shorts the creator share is 45% of an allocated pool. RPM already reflects these shares, which is why it is the most useful figure for planning.

Finance, technology and business channels often see higher RPMs because advertisers pay more to reach those viewers. Gaming, entertainment and kids content usually sit lower. A UK audience generally earns more than a global one, but less than a mostly US audience.

Once you have a yearly estimate, the calculator applies 2026/27 UK tax rates: a £12,570 personal allowance, 20% basic rate Income Tax up to £50,270, 40% above that, plus Class 4 National Insurance at 6% and 2%. It assumes YouTube is your only income and you have no expenses, so your real bill is likely to be lower once costs are deducted.

If you also have a job, your salary uses up your personal allowance first, so more of your YouTube money is taxed. Use the side hustle tax checker to model that, or the self employed tax calculator for combined creator income.

Official rules on self-employed income are on GOV.UK, and HMRC explains the trading allowance at gov.uk/guidance/tax-free-allowances-on-property-and-trading-income.

Source: Income Tax rates and allowances (gov.uk) · Self Assessment (gov.uk)

Example: 200,000 monthly views at £1–£4 RPM

Monthly payout range
£200 – £800
Yearly mid-point
£6,000
Less personal allowance
Covered in full if this is your only income
Estimated tax and NIC
£0

Illustrative example, not a client result. If you also earn a £35,000 salary, the same £6,000 would typically cost about £1,560 in extra Income Tax and Class 4 NIC before expenses.

General information only, based on 2026/27 UK rules. Not personal advice. Speak to us about your circumstances.

At a glance

Typical YouTube RPM ranges by niche (UK audiences)

Indicative ranges drawn from what creators commonly report. Your own analytics always win.

NicheIndicative RPMWhy
Personal finance and business£4 – £12High-value advertisers such as banks and software
Tech reviews£3 – £8Retail and gadget advertisers
Education and how-to£2 – £6Longer watch time, more mid-roll slots
Lifestyle, beauty and food£1.50 – £5Seasonal retail spend
Gaming and entertainment£0.80 – £3Younger audiences and lower ad rates
Shorts (all niches)£0.03 – £0.20Pooled revenue share

Action plan

How to use the YouTube money calculator

  1. 1

    Find your RPM

    Open YouTube Studio, go to Analytics, then Revenue, and note your RPM for the last 90 days.

  2. 2

    Enter monthly views

    Use monetised long-form views from the same period.

  3. 3

    Set a low and high RPM

    Enter a cautious and optimistic figure to see a realistic range.

  4. 4

    Read the tax estimate

    See roughly what to set aside, then deduct your expenses for a truer figure.

Avoid these

Common mistakes

  • Using CPM instead of RPM, which overstates earnings because CPM is before YouTube’s share.
  • Forgetting that December ad rates fall sharply in January.
  • Spending the whole AdSense payment and having nothing saved for the 31 January tax bill.
  • Not submitting a W-8BEN, so up to 24% of US-viewer earnings is withheld.
  • Leaving out sponsorships and memberships when working out total taxable income.

Structure

Sole trader or limited company?

£
Sole trader£46,111
Limited company£46,091

Illustrative estimate only. Uses the published 2026/27 tax configuration. Assumes a single-director company drawing all profit, with no Employment Allowance. Excludes expenses, student loans, pensions, other income, Scottish rates and individual circumstances. Not tax advice.

Open the full sole trader vs limited company calculator

Diary

Key deadlines

  1. 5 October

    Register for Self Assessment for the previous tax year

  2. 31 October

    Paper tax return deadline

  3. 31 January

    Online return, balancing payment and first payment on account

  4. 31 July

    Second payment on account

Want this off your plate?

Talk through your platform income, allowable expenses and next steps with a creator accountant.

Book your free creator tax call

Reviews

What clients say

Written and reviewed by

Waqas Sagar ACA FCCA FMAAT

Chartered Accountant with 18+ years' experience and founder of Accotax. Has served over 5,000 clients across London and the UK.

About Waqas SagarAccotax on LinkedIn Last reviewed: 2026-09-26

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