At the same nominal income of £75,000 (UK) / $75,000 (CAD/AUD/NZD) with 8,000 in expenses in local currency (£8,000 in the UK), here is how self-employment tax compares across the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Each country is shown in its own currency — this is a structural comparison, not a currency conversion.
Figures use each country's official 2026 brackets and a standard set of options (England/Wales/NI for the UK, Ontario for Canada, no voluntary super for Australia, no KiwiSaver for New Zealand). Canada includes both halves of CPP. Currencies are not converted — each country is shown in its own local currency at the same nominal income.
"Take-home as % of gross" compares how much of your gross income you keep after tax and social-security levies. Because currencies differ, this percentage is the fairest cross-country metric — it isolates the tax structure from exchange rates.
This comparison puts the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand side by side in one place. The table uses the same nominal income and expenses in each country so the only variable is the tax system itself.
A few caveats keep the comparison honest. Canada's figure uses Ontario — selecting a different province shifts the result, sometimes significantly. Australia shows no voluntary super and New Zealand shows no KiwiSaver, both of which are optional levers you can model on the country pages. The UK uses England/Wales/NI bands; Scotland's are higher. And because each country is shown in its own currency, the absolute take-home numbers are not directly comparable across borders — the effective rate and take-home percentage are.
For your real numbers, open the main calculator or your country page and enter your actual income, expenses, and local options.
It depends on your income level and, for Canada, your province. At moderate incomes Australia often looks lightest because of its $18,200 tax-free threshold, while New Zealand taxes from the first dollar but at a low 10.5% starter rate. The UK Personal Allowance (£12,570) is also generous at lower incomes. At higher incomes the comparison shifts — use the table above at your actual income to see which country leaves you with the most.
Each country is shown in its own local currency (£, CAD, AUD, NZD) at the same nominal income figure. We deliberately do not convert currencies, because exchange rates fluctuate and a direct conversion would imply a false equivalence. The comparison shows the tax structure and effective rate in each country, not a purchasing-power comparison.
The comparison table uses Ontario as the default Canadian province so the four countries are comparable at a single setting. Provincial tax varies significantly across Canada — from low-rate Alberta to higher-rate Nova Scotia and Quebec — so open the Canada page and select your province for an accurate figure.
Because self-employed Canadians pay both the employee and employer halves of CPP (a combined 11.9% on earnings between $3,500 and $74,600, plus CPP2 above that). The other three countries do not have an equivalent double contribution. However, the employer half and the enhanced portion of CPP are deductible, and the base employee portion earns a tax credit — both offsets are applied in this comparison.
Not necessarily. Tax rates fund different public services in each country — healthcare, pensions, accident cover — and the social-security equivalents differ in what they provide. A lower rate may come with fewer state benefits, and vice versa. Use this comparison to understand the structure, then factor in what you actually get for your contributions.
Each country's take-home is calculated with its own 2026 income tax brackets and social-security contributions (UK National Insurance, Canadian CPP/QPP, the Australian Medicare Levy, or the NZ ACC Earner's Levy) on the same nominal income and expenses. Currencies are not converted — each country is shown in its own local currency.