Self-Employed Student Loan Calculator
Calculate your student loan repayments when self-employed through Self Assessment
For the wider rules on payment deadlines, allowable expenses and switching between employment types, read our student loan repayments for the self-employed guide.
Self Assessment
Self-employed individuals pay student loan repayments through Self Assessment based on annual profits[source].
Your total taxable profits after allowable expenses
2026-27 threshold: £29,385 | Rate: 9.0%
Remember: Use your taxable profits, not turnover. Deduct all allowable business expenses first.
Outcome: repaid in full
£505 due on 31 January 2028
£35,000 of taxable profit is £5,615 above the Plan 2 threshold.
Collected in one payment with your tax bill, not in instalments. Set aside about £42 a month.
Your Self Assessment repayment, 2026-27
Total annual repayment
£505
Due 31 January 2028
Set aside each month
£42
Budgeting figure, not an instalment
Profit above threshold
£5,615
Plan 2 threshold £29,385, 2026-27
How this is worked out
(£35,000 − £29,385) × 9% = £505.35
Plan 2, 2026-27 threshold, on taxable profit after allowable expenses.
When you pay it
Student loan repayments are not included in payments on account. They are collected once a year, with the balancing payment on 31 January. Your income tax and Class 4 NIC payments on account are worked out without them. The 31 July instalment on your Self Assessment statement is income tax and Class 4 National Insurance only.
Have PAYE employment, property or dividends as well as trading profit? The Self Assessment balancing payment calculator aggregates every source and credits what PAYE already deducted.
Rates, assumptions and sources
Every figure below is the 2026-27 published figure, read from this site's single source of truth at page-render time[source]. The 6% Plan 2 and Postgraduate interest cap covers the 2026/27 year only and is not assumed to continue[source].
| Plan | Threshold | Rate | Interest | Written off | Threshold freeze |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 2 | £29,385[source] | 9% | 4.1% to 7.1% by income, capped at 6% for 2026-27[source] | 30 years[source] | Frozen at £29,385 until April 2030 |
Write-off is counted from the April after the course ends, not from the course-end date itself, and the Plan 2 interest bands (£29,385 lower, £52,885 upper) are frozen alongside the Plan 2 repayment threshold.
This calculator also assumes
- Income used
- Taxable profit after allowable expenses
- PAYE deductions credited
- None — this tool assumes profit only
- Effective rate on profit
- 1.4%
- Payments on account
- None for student loans
- Balancing payment due
- 31 January 2028
Growth, inflation and long-run interest figures are assumptions, not published rates. Change them and the projection changes.
Self-Employed vs Employed
Self-Employed
- • Pay through Self Assessment annually
- • Based on taxable profits after expenses
- • Collected in one payment on 31 January, not in instalments
- • Delayed payment following tax year
- • Must track and calculate yourself
Employed (PAYE)
- • Deducted automatically from salary
- • Based on gross salary before tax
- • Paid every pay period through payroll
- • Immediate payment as you earn
- • Employer handles calculations
Explore More Calculators
Understand your complete student loan picture
Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates for planning. Actual repayments calculated by HMRC through Self Assessment. Consult an accountant for personalized advice.
Related student loan calculators
The self-employed student loan calculator answers one specific question. For the full picture, start with our UK student loan calculator on the homepage, work out what leaves your payslip each month with the monthly repayment calculator, or check what you can borrow with the student finance calculator. Every tool on the site is listed in the UK student loan calculator directory.
- PAYE vs Self Assessment calculator: how the two collection routes compare on the same income
- Self Assessment balancing payment calculator: the extra student loan HMRC collects with your tax return
- CIS and self-employed calculator: student loan for construction industry and self-employed workers