Second Job

bilko89

Hi everyone, I'm currently working full time earing £35K per year but want to supplement that by getting a second job. I've applied at my local Tesco's and have an Interview on Friday. Depending how that goes, looking at between 12 and 16 hours per week. I'm guessing about £11K per year. 

I'm just worried about if this will really badly affect my Income Tax and if the job will be worth it. 

I live in Scotland and my tax code is S1257M as I also get the marriage allowance. 

Any advise is much appreciated

Penguin_

The Tesco role will almost certainly be taxed at 20/21% for all earnings, as you will have used your Tax Allowance in your main job. 

sheramber

Income tax rates 2025 to 2026

Taxable income	Tax rate	Band
up to £12,570	0%	Personal Allowance
£12,571 to £15,397	19%	Starter rate
£15,398 to £27,491	20%	Scottish basic rate
£27,492 to £43,662	21%	Intermediate rate
£43,663 to £75,000	42%	Higher rate
£75,001 to £125,140	45%	Advanced rate
Over £125,140	48%	Top rate

flaneurs_lobster

bilko89 said:

I'm just worried about if this will really badly affect my Income Tax and if the job will be worth it. 

What do you mean by "really badly affect my Income Tax"?

You'll earn more income and you'll pay tax on the extra income.  Is this bad?

chrisbur

Assuming that your second job's gross pay does not exceed £242 a week or £1048 if monthly paid and it has no connection to your first job there will be no national insurance deducted.

molerat

As you are already a 21% tax payer the Tesco job will likely get a code of SD0 and there may be a rate band adjustment to the main job as your total income will likely bring you into 42% tax.  You are also likely to lose the marriage allowance.

I live in Scotland and my tax code is S1257M as I also get the marriage allowance. 

Where has the additional £1200 gone from your coding ?

bilko89

Thanks everyone for your input, I appreciate it!!

flaneurs_lobster said:

bilko89 said:

I'm just worried about if this will really badly affect my Income Tax and if the job will be worth it. 

What do you mean by "really badly affect my Income Tax"?

You'll earn more income and you'll pay tax on the extra income.  Is this bad?

Just a few people telling me it will be almost pointless having the second job due to the tax. But as a few in here have said, my original job will likely have the same tax code with the Tesco one being taxed at 20/21% which is what I thought but I was made wary by these other people so that's why I asked one here  

molerat said:

As you are already a 21% tax payer the Tesco job will likely get a code of SD0 and there may be a rate band adjustment to the main job as your total income will likely bring you into 42% tax.  You are also likely to lose the marriage allowance.

I live in Scotland and my tax code is S1257M as I also get the marriage allowance. 

Where has the additional £1200 gone from your coding ?

BTW I'm talking absolute nonsense, my tax code is actually S1802M ( i was looking at the standard code most people are on). All guesswork until I go to the interview but the job is advertised at starting at £12.45/hr so say I get 16 hours per week....per year that would work out at £10,358.40 Gross, taking my total earnings to £45358.40, so £1695.40 per year of my income will be taxed at 42%, If I understand and I'm reading the chart kindly posted by @sheramber correctly. 

To explain my Tax Code, basically a lawyers firm were offering everyone in my previous workplace to look into a tax refund due to us working nights last year and also looked into previous years for us. My tax code has remained the same in this new tax year.

sheramber

Be aware if you go into higher rate tax you will lose the marriage transfer allowance. 

bilko89

sheramber said:

Be aware if you go into higher rate tax you will lose the marriage transfer allowance. 

Yh looking at it I will lose the marriage allowance so losing £1200 from my tax free income per year....still the PT job will give me more income monthly so thinking this is still a good idea. 

BTW for context, My wife and I are recently separated so I would have lost this anyway in the near future.

LITRG

Hello, If your job/circumstances have changed, you may want to update your tax code otherwise you risk an underpayment. You can find some good guidance on the tax issues around second jobs on our website, https://www.litrg.org.uk/working/employment/multiple-jobs

penners324

Sounds like some of the people giving you advise dont understand how the tax system works.

79% of £10k is better than 0% of £10k