Free SAYE Calculator (Sharesave)
Your Scheme Parameters
Adjust monthly savings, duration, and growth assumptions below.
Model performance without committing to a single share price guess.
Exercise Options: At £15.00, your shares are worth £17,190.00, yielding a total profit of £8,197.00 over your £9,000 contributions.
Income Tax & NICs: £0 (100% statutory exemption on exercise).
Capital Gain: £8,022.00. Crosses the £3,000 CGT allowance. Est. CGT: £1205.28 if sold directly.
3-Year vs 5-Year Head-to-Head
Multi-Point Scenario Progression Table
See exactly what happens to your £9,000 contributions across 6 market conditions.
| Market Scenario | Future Share Price | Total Value at Maturity | Net Profit | Return on Savings | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -30% Stock Change | £7.00 | £9,175.00 | +£175.00 | 1.9% | Cash + Bonus (No Loss) |
| 0% Stock Change | £10.00 | £11,467.00 | +£2,467.00 | 27.4% | Exercise Options |
| +25% Stock Change | £12.50 | £14,332.00 | +£5,332.00 | 59.2% | Exercise Options |
| +50% Stock Change | £15.00 | £17,197.00 | +£8,197.00 | 91.1% | Exercise Options |
| +100% Stock Change | £20.00 | £22,927.00 | +£13,927.00 | 154.7% | Exercise Options |
| +150% Stock Change | £25.00 | £28,657.00 | +£19,657.00 | 218.4% | Exercise Options |
What is a SAYE calculator?
SAYE Calculator is basically a tool for UK employees that helps you estimate the potential value of your money when your Save As You Earn (SAYE) scheme reaches maturity.
For example, if you’ve just received a Share Save offer from your employer, it will usually include an option price and the amount you’ll save each month. You might be wondering: if I save this amount for three or five years, how much money will I have at the end, and how much could I potentially benefit from buying the company’s shares?
That’s exactly what the SAYE Calculator does. You enter your monthly savings, option price, and expected future share price.
The calculator then shows you how much your total fund could be at maturity, how many shares you could buy with that amount, and what your potential profit could be if the share price increases.
This way, when your SAYE scheme matures, you can make a more informed decision about whether it’s better to take the shares or receive your savings back as cash.
If your employer also runs a Share Incentive Plan alongside SAYE, you can model that scheme separately using our Best UK Share Incentive Plan Calculator.
Another interesting thing is that SAYE can offer tax advantages in certain circumstances, which many people overlook. So, the calculator doesn’t just show you how much your money could grow; it also gives you a practical estimate to help you make a better decision between shares and cash.
In short: The SAYE Calculator helps you understand in advance how today’s monthly savings and option price could potentially create value or profit for you in the future.
How a SAYE Calculator Works
Save As You Earn (SAYE) is a savings scheme for UK employees where you can save a fixed amount from your salary each month, ranging from £5 to £500. These savings are usually made over a 3- or 5-year plan.
When the plan reaches maturity, you get your accumulated savings back, and you may also receive a tax-free bonus. In addition, when you join a SAYE scheme, you get the right to buy shares in your company at a pre-agreed discounted option price, which can be up to 20% below the market price.
Now, if you want to know how beneficial the whole plan could be for you at maturity, that’s where the SAYE Calculator comes in.
To use a sharesave calculator, you need four inputs:
- Monthly Savings: How much you are saving each month.
- Option Price: The discounted share price that was locked in when you started the scheme.
- Plan Length: Whether your plan is for 3 years or 5 years.
- Predicted Share Price: The estimated share price at the time your plan reaches maturity.
Based on this information, the calculator shows you how much your total savings + bonus could be at the end, how many shares you could buy with that amount, what the potential market value of those shares could be, and how much your potential profit might be.
Current SAYE Bonus Rates for 2026
SAYE bonus rates are set by HMRC and move with the Bank of England base rate. After nearly ten years at zero (2014–2023), bonuses returned in August 2023. Following the Bank of England's May 2025 rate cut to 4.25%, the rates from 23 May 2025 are:
| Plan Length | Bonus |
|---|---|
| 3-year | 0.7 × your monthly savings amount |
| 5-year | 1.9 × your monthly savings amount |
Example: Saving £200/month on a 5-year plan gives you (£200 × 60 months) + (£200 × 1.9) = £12,000 + £380 = £12,380 total fund, entirely tax-free.
HMRC published updated rates effective 2 January 2026. Your rate is locked at your invitation date, so check your scheme documentation for the exact figure that applies to you.
3-Year vs 5-Year Sharesave: Comparison
| Factor | 3-Year Plan | 5-Year Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus rate | 0.7× monthly savings | 1.9× monthly savings |
| Total bonus (at £200/month) | £140 | £380 |
| Time commitment | Shorter, lower career risk | Longer, higher bonus |
| Best if you are | Uncertain about long-term | Confident in company growth |
The 3-year plan suits employees who may change jobs or are cautious about the share price outlook. The 5-year plan delivers a meaningfully higher bonus and more time for the price to grow, but you are committing for longer.
Not sure SAYE is the right scheme for you? See our SIP vs SAYE comparison to see how the two HMRC-approved schemes stack up.
The Tax Advantage: What Makes SAYE One of the Best UK Employee Benefits
No Income Tax or National Insurance on Your Option Gain
When you use your sharesave fund to buy shares at maturity, HMRC charges no income tax and no national insurance contributions on the gain regardless of how large that profit is. This applies to every employee, at every income level.
The ISA Transfer Trick Most Employees Don't Know About
After exercising your SAYE options, you have a 90-day window to transfer your shares directly into a Stocks and Shares ISA without using any of your £20,000 annual ISA allowance. Any future growth inside the ISA is then free of capital gains tax indefinitely.
This is one of the most tax-efficient moves available to any UK employee, and it is rarely mentioned in company scheme documentation.
If you sell your shares outside an ISA, CGT applies. Your base cost is the option price you paid, not the market value at exercise. Current CGT rates for 2025/26 are 18% (basic rate) and 24% higher-rate with a £3,000 annual exempt amount.
Sharesave Shares vs Cash: Which One Should You Take
At maturity, you choose between buying the shares at your option price or taking your savings back as cash.
Take the shares if:
- The share price is above your option price (you are in profit)
- You plan to transfer them to an ISA within 90 days
- You want to hold for potential further growth
Take the cash if:
- The share price has fallen below your option price — always take cash in this case
- You need the money immediately
Frequently Asked Questions - SAYE Calculator
Can I join more than one SAYE scheme at the same time?
Yes. You can hold multiple SAYE contracts simultaneously for example, if your employer runs a new invitation every year. The only restriction is that your total monthly contributions across all SAYE contracts must not exceed £500 per month.
What if the share price falls below my option price at maturity?
You are not obliged to buy the shares. Simply take your full savings plus any bonus back as cash. SAYE's downside protection means you can never lose your contributions; the worst outcome is that your savings earn a small bonus and nothing more.
What is the current SAYE bonus rate in 2026?
Following the Bank of England's rate cut to 4.25% in May 2025, HMRC confirmed rates of 0.7 monthly contributions (3-year) and 1.9 monthly contributions (5-year) from 23 May 2025. HMRC updated the rates again from 2 January 2026.
Is the gain from a SAYE scheme taxable?
The option gain at exercise is completely free of income tax and National Insurance regardless of the size of the profit. A capital gains tax may apply when you eventually sell the shares. You can shelter this by using your £3,000 annual CGT exemption or by transferring shares into an ISA within 90 days of exercise.
What happens to my SAYE scheme if I am made redundant?
Redundancy is a good leaver event. You have up to six months from your leaving date to exercise your sharesave options using your accumulated savings, even if the full term has not yet been reached. If you do not exercise within six months, your savings are returned to you in full.