Understanding Employer NIC Increases

Employer National Insurance Contributions (NIC) have increased from 13.8% to 15%, and the secondary threshold has decreased from £9,100 to just £5,000. This change came into effect in April 2025 and affects the majority of UK business owners.

It’s clear that business owners are already feeling the pinch of rising costs but with yet another increase, what does the employer’s NIC increase actually mean for businesses?

What the NIC increase means for your business

Larger businesses could be looking at a significant increase in their National Insurance Contributions—our data shows as much as £18,000. And with all these new financial pressures it can be worrying to quantify what you could expect to pay.

What is included in this factsheet?

• An overview of the 2025 changes
• Regional breakdown of how much NI businesses could expect to pay from April 2025
• Insights from our Jobs Report on the state of employment

Stay on top of payroll changes with Employment Hero (+free payroll software)

Tackling compliance changes can be difficult when you have limited time, but worry not. Employment Hero keeps your payroll up to date and compliance effortless, so you can focus on what really matters—growing your business.

And what’s better than that? Free payroll.

Yeah, you read that right. Employment Hero are now offering free payroll to UK businesses.