Palta Money
Palta Money is a UK personal finance analysis site for everyday money questions — mortgage repayments, take-home pay, loans, savings, and debt. Enter a rough scenario and see clear numbers update as you change inputs. We are not a bank, broker, or adviser.
Anyone in the UK who wants to understand a money topic before making a decision — buying a home, checking salary after tax, or planning repayments. You do not need spreadsheet skills. Each calculator starts with one straightforward question (for example, “what is my monthly payment?” or “what is my take-home pay?”) and adds optional depth only when you ask for it.
Field labels include short tooltips. Full tax bands, rates, and sources live on each tool's assumptions or transparency page — linked from the calculator — not buried in fine print and not dumped on the main form.
The mortgage calculator estimates repayments, stamp duty (SDLT, LBTT, and LTT), and ownership costs for England, Scotland, and Wales. Use the stamp duty calculator for a focused tax estimate, the council tax calculator for English billing authorities, or see mortgage assumptions for bands and sources.
The salary calculator estimates UK take-home pay from gross salary. See salary transparency for tax bands and sources.
Financing, investment, and debt calculators are in development. They appear on the home page as Coming Soon until each one is ready to promote.
Short articles on ownership costs, rent vs buy, stamp duty, remortgaging, and pay — focused on things that are easy to miss when you are modelling a scenario. Each links into the calculators so you can try your own numbers.
The true cost of owning a home (beyond the mortgage)
The monthly mortgage repayment is usually the biggest housing cost, but it is not the only one. Council tax, buildings insurance, maintenance, and sometimes service charges or ground rent all come out of your budget too. Adding them up gives a clearer picture of what living in the property actually costs.
Read guideRent vs buy in the UK: a scenario-based comparison
Renting and buying differ in monthly cost, but the gap widens once you count upfront cash — deposit, stamp duty, and buying fees. Those costs hit harder if you move often, because you pay them again with each purchase. Over a full mortgage term, equity, house prices, and spare cash on the rent path all shape the longer picture.
Read guideHow much stamp duty will I pay in 2025/26?
Stamp duty is transaction tax on residential property. You pay nothing on the slice below the first threshold, then progressively higher rates on amounts above. The total is the sum of tax on each slice — not one flat percentage of the whole price. That slice-by-slice structure catches many first-time buyers by surprise.
Read guidePalta Money is for education and planning only. It is not regulated financial advice, and we do not recommend specific products or lenders. Tax rules and rates change; always confirm figures with official sources or a qualified adviser before you commit.