Family

High Income Child Benefit Charge (2025/26)

Published on January 22, 2026

You may have to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge if you or your partner have an individual income that’s over £60,000 and either of you get Child Benefit.

The Thresholds

  • £60,000: You start paying the charge if your income is above this amount.
  • £80,000: If your income is over this amount, the charge is equal to the full amount of the Child Benefit.

How it's calculated

The charge is 1% of your Child Benefit for every £200 of income that exceeds £60,000.

If your income is between £60,000 and £80,000, you’ll pay back some of your Child Benefit. If it’s over £80,000, you’ll pay back all of it.

What counts as income?

Your 'adjusted net income' is used to calculate the charge. This includes your total taxable income before any personal allowances and less things like Gift Aid and pension contributions.

Opting Out

You can choose to opt out of receiving Child Benefit payments if you don't want to pay the charge. However, you should still fill in the claim form to protect your National Insurance credits.