How Much Tax-Free Childcare Can I Get?
Calculate the government top-up available for each child, understand the £500 quarterly and £2,000 annual limits, and estimate what you need to pay into your childcare account.
Calculate Your Top-UpCalculate Your Top-Up
Enter childcare costs for each child and see the estimated government contribution.
Start CalculatorCheck Eligibility
Review work, earnings, age, income and approved-childcare requirements before applying.
Eligibility RulesCompare Support
Understand how Tax-Free Childcare differs from Universal Credit childcare support.
Compare SupportTax-Free Childcare Calculator
For every £8 you pay into a Tax-Free Childcare account, the government normally adds £2, subject to the top-up limit for each child and each three-month entitlement period.
Your Childcare Costs
Enter the childcare costs you expect to pay during one three-month entitlement period.
Your Estimate Will Appear Here
Enter your childcare costs and family details to estimate your payment, government top-up and total childcare account balance.
Your Tax-Free Childcare Estimate
Tax-Free Childcare At A Glance
The scheme is based on a 20% government contribution to eligible childcare spending, delivered as a 25% top-up on the amount you pay in.
Explore Childcare Support
Compare Tax-Free Childcare with other common childcare funding and budgeting options.
How Much Tax-Free Childcare Can You Get?
For each eligible child, the government adds £2 for every £8 you deposit. That means a childcare bill of £1,000 can normally be funded with an £800 payment from you and a £200 government top-up, provided you still have enough allowance available.
The standard maximum top-up is £500 every three months, equivalent to £2,000 a year. For an eligible disabled child, the limit is £1,000 every three months and £4,000 a year.
- Top-ups are calculated separately for each child.
- Each eligible child needs their own childcare account.
- You must reconfirm your details every three months.
- Your provider must be signed up to receive Tax-Free Childcare payments.
How Tax-Free Childcare Works
Tax-Free Childcare is an online account that you use to pay an approved childcare provider. You deposit money into the account and the government adds a top-up. The name can be confusing: it is not a deduction from your tax bill and it does not make all childcare spending tax-free.
The £8 Plus £2 Calculation
The government top-up equals 25% of the amount you pay in. This is equivalent to 20% of the total childcare account balance. To cover a £500 childcare invoice, for example, you would normally pay £400 and the government would add £100.
| Total Childcare Payment | You Pay In | Government Adds |
|---|---|---|
| £100 | £80 | £20 |
| £500 | £400 | £100 |
| £1,000 | £800 | £200 |
| £2,500 | £2,000 | £500 |
Quarterly And Annual Limits
The standard maximum is £500 every three months for each child. To receive the full £500, you usually need to pay £2,000 into that child’s account during the entitlement period, creating £2,500 to spend on childcare. A disabled child may receive up to £1,000 every three months.
Can Tax-Free Childcare Cover The Whole Bill?
It can cover the whole invoice only when your own deposit plus the available government top-up reaches the bill amount. Once the quarterly cap is reached, further deposits during that entitlement period will not attract additional top-up.
Who Can Get Tax-Free Childcare?
Eligibility depends on your child, your work, your earnings, your partner’s circumstances where relevant, your income and your immigration status. HMRC makes the final decision when you apply or reconfirm.
Child Age Rules
A child is normally eligible until 1 September after their 11th birthday. An eligible disabled child may qualify until 1 September after their 16th birthday.
Work And Minimum Earnings
You and your partner, if you have one, will usually need to be working or returning to work and each expect to earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the applicable National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage. Some exceptions apply for certain leave, benefits and newly self-employed parents.
The £100,000 Income Limit
You cannot normally get Tax-Free Childcare if either you or your partner expects adjusted net income above £100,000 in the current tax year. This is an individual limit rather than a combined household limit.
Support You Cannot Usually Combine
You cannot receive Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as Universal Credit childcare support or childcare vouchers. Before changing schemes, compare the likely value carefully using our Universal Credit Childcare Calculator and the official government childcare calculator.
Approved Childcare
The money must be used for approved childcare, and your provider must be registered for Tax-Free Childcare. This can include nurseries, registered childminders, after-school clubs, breakfast clubs and qualifying holiday schemes.
Tax-Free Childcare Examples
£600 Monthly Bill
For a £600 monthly bill, you could pay £480 into the account and receive a £120 top-up. Over three months, the top-up would be £360, below the standard £500 quarterly cap.
£1,000 Monthly Bill
You could pay £800 and receive £200 each month. However, across a three-month entitlement period the calculated £600 top-up would exceed the £500 standard cap, so the maximum top-up would normally be £500.
Two Eligible Children
Limits apply per child. If both children have sufficient eligible costs, the family could receive up to £1,000 in total every three months, split as up to £500 for each child.
Eligible Disabled Child
The higher limit is up to £1,000 every three months and £4,000 a year. To receive a £1,000 top-up in one period, you would generally need to pay £4,000 into that child’s account.
How To Pay The Right Amount Into Your Account
To work backwards from a bill, multiply the childcare invoice by 0.8. For a £750 invoice, your expected deposit is £600 and the expected government top-up is £150. Always check the top-up already received in the current period before relying on this calculation.
Reconfirming Every Three Months
You must sign in and confirm that your details are still correct every three months. Missing the reconfirmation deadline can stop new top-ups, so check the date shown in your account and update changes promptly.
More Childcare Planning Guides
Use these related tools to compare childcare costs, funded hours and support.
Universal Credit Childcare
Estimate childcare reimbursement through Universal Credit and compare it with Tax-Free Childcare.
Open Calculator →Childcare Affordability
Compare childcare fees with household income and regular monthly commitments.
Check Affordability →30 Hours Free Childcare
Understand England’s funded childcare entitlement for eligible working families.
Read The Guide →Nursery Cost Calculator
Estimate weekly, monthly and annual nursery fees before childcare support.
Calculate Costs →Free Childcare Hours
Explore funded childcare hours and how stretched arrangements may work.
Estimate Hours →Choosing A Nursery
Compare fees, opening hours, funded-place policies, meals and additional charges.
Read The Checklist →Frequently Asked Questions
Calculate Your Tax-Free Childcare Top-Up
Estimate your payment, the government contribution and the childcare account balance available for approved childcare.
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