Thousands turn to Google each month to understand payslips
Research indicates that thousands of British workers are using Google each month to decipher their payslips, with tax queries representing the greatest source of confusion.
Employment Hero has analysed search data to determine the most common payslip-related uncertainties among UK workers. The research reviewed average monthly search volumes for a range of payroll and employment terms, revealing significant knowledge gaps in several key areas.
Payslip confusion
The query "how much tax will I pay" is the most searched payslip-related question, with 33,100 searches each month. This number exceeds the search volumes for both "Taylor Swift tickets" (25,000) and "2026 World Cup" (26,000), highlighting the extent of uncertainty regarding tax deductions among British employees.
P60s and P45s are also frequent sources of confusion. "What is a P60" generates 14,800 monthly searches, while 12,100 searches are made each month for "What is a P45". These documents, which detail annual income and tax or relate to changes in employment, are evidently not well understood by many workers, despite their financial significance.
Other frequently searched terms include queries about statutory sick pay and the tax-free personal allowance. Each month, "how much is statutory sick pay" is searched 9,900 times, and "how much can you earn before paying tax" is entered 8,100 times. These figures indicate uncertainty around both statutory rights and thresholds, such as the personal allowance, which is currently GBP £12,570 for most workers and determines how much income can be received before tax is due.
Search interest for tax codes is also considerable, with more than 7,200 monthly queries related to what tax codes mean and why they change. Other terms, such as "what is PAYE", "how much is national insurance", and "what is net pay", also attract thousands of searches per month, reflecting widespread uncertainty about payroll terminology and calculation.
Pay pressures and knowledge gaps
This lack of understanding coincides with ongoing financial concerns among workers. According to an Employment Hero survey conducted with YouGov, only 56% of UK employees reported receiving a pay rise in the past 12 months, contributing to a broad sense of income insecurity.
"The insights show that thousands of British workers struggle to understand their payslips, creating financial uncertainty and stress. Not knowing how to read a payslip can lead to overpaying tax, missing statutory entitlements or overlooking errors. Employers have a responsibility to support their staff with clear, well-designed payslips and accessible resources that explain key terms, tax codes, deductions and entitlements."
This statement was made by Kevin Fitzgerald, Managing Director at Employment Hero, who emphasised the importance of employer support in helping staff navigate their pay and entitlements.
The table of the most-searched payslip-related queries in the UK is led by tax and payroll document questions. Following tax calculation queries, the highest search volumes are for P60s and P45s, then statutory sick pay (9,900), and tax-free allowance thresholds (8,100).
Data methodology
The reported search volumes were compiled over a 12-month period using Semrush, providing an overview of average monthly searches for each key phrase. The survey of employees was conducted by YouGov on behalf of Employment Hero, with 1,081 full-time and part-time UK employees participating.
The full dataset includes the top 33 payslip-related searches, such as "what is PAYE" (6,600), "how much is national insurance" (6,600), "what is net pay" (3,600), and "how much student loan do I owe" (2,400), among others, highlighting the ongoing demand among workers for accessible payroll information.
