Tax-Free Childcare calculator
Check how much support your family could receive and how much you may still need to pay.
Calculator guidance reviewed
Your details
Start with your figures.
Change the numbers below to see how they affect your estimate. Nothing needs to be saved.
Your next step
What else could you work out?
Explore a related question using another free calculator.
Nursery cost calculator
Estimate the annual and monthly cost of nursery care and compare it with any support you expect to receive.
Try this calculatorFunded childcare hours calculator (England)
Compare universal 15-hour provision and 30-hour working-parent support in England, assuming eligibility has been confirmed.
Try this calculatorChildcare cost calculator
Estimate your average weekly, monthly and annual childcare budget and compare it with any support available.
Try this calculatorAbout this calculator
Check how much support your family could receive and how much you may still need to pay.
How to use this calculator
Who this calculator is for
This tool is for parents and carers who already use Tax-Free Childcare, or who want to estimate how much they would need to put into a childcare account for one child. It is a funding estimate, not an eligibility check.
What information to enter
Enter one child's eligible childcare bill for the current three-month entitlement period. Select the disabled-child option only if that child qualifies for the higher allowance, then enter either the government top-up still available or the top-up already used. Use the balance shown in the live childcare account and run a separate calculation for each child because the limit applies per child.
How the result is worked out
The government adds £2 for every £8 paid in, so its share is 20% of the total childcare bill. The calculator uses the lower of 20% of the bill and the remaining quarterly top-up allowance, then subtracts that contribution from the bill. The standard maximum is £500 every three months, rising to £1,000 for an eligible disabled child.
Worked example
For a £250 eligible bill, the government contribution is £50 and you pay £200 into the account. If only £30 of the quarterly allowance remains, the contribution is capped at £30 and you pay £220. This reproduces the GOV.UK £250 example before applying any allowance cap.
What this calculator leaves out
It does not decide whether you, your child, provider or invoice qualifies; track transactions between visits; or model payment-clearing time. Tax-Free Childcare cannot be received at the same time as Universal Credit childcare or childcare vouchers. The result describes account funding, not a tax refund or a cash payment to you.
What to do next
Check the GOV.UK eligibility rules and confirm that the provider is approved and signed up. Sign in to the childcare account to verify the real allowance balance, reconfirm eligibility when required, and wait for funds and top-up to appear before paying the provider. The official links alongside this explanation contain the current rules.
Frequently asked questions
How is the government contribution calculated?
Each £8 deposited in your childcare account attracts a £2 government top-up, covering 20% of the total eligible childcare bill. Government top-ups are limited to £500 per child every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year), or £1,000 every 3 months (up to £4,000 a year) for an eligible disabled child.
What if I already used some of my allowance?
Enter the amount already used and the calculator will recalculate the remaining budget available to you.
Does the calculator check whether I qualify?
No. It estimates the top-up for the childcare costs and remaining allowance you enter. Confirm eligibility and whether your childcare provider accepts the scheme using the linked official guidance.
Is this estimate for one child or my whole family?
Use the calculator for one child at a time because the allowance applies per child. Enter the allowance already used for that child in the relevant three-month period before comparing the remaining top-up.
What childcare bill should I enter?
Enter the eligible childcare cost you expect to pay for one child during the relevant three-month allowance period. Leave out costs that cannot be paid through the Tax-Free Childcare account and check provider eligibility before relying on the estimate.
Guides for your next step
- How Tax-Free Childcare works: accounts, top-ups and quarterly limits
A practical guide to paying into a Tax-Free Childcare account, tracking each child's quarterly top-up and avoiding common budgeting mistakes.
- Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit childcare: how to compare them safely
A decision framework for comparing two childcare-support routes that cannot be claimed together, without cancelling an existing claim too soon.
- How to build a childcare budget that survives irregular bills
Build an annual and monthly childcare plan that includes paid closures, deposits, extras, changing support and a realistic contingency.