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South Africa Income Tax Calculator 2026/27 – SARS PAYE and Take-Home Pay

Calculate your South African income tax for the 2026/27 tax year using the SARS brackets and the primary, secondary and tertiary rebates. See your monthly PAYE, UIF contribution, take-home pay, marginal rate and effective tax rate.

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How to use the South Africa tax calculator

  1. Enter your taxable income and choose whether it is monthly or yearly.
  2. Enter your age on 28 February — it decides which rebates you get.

You’ll see your PAYE per month and per year, monthly UIF, monthly take-home pay, your marginal and effective rates, and the tax before and after rebates.

How SARS income tax is calculated

  1. Tax is worked out on your yearly taxable income with the progressive brackets.
  2. Rebates are subtracted: the primary rebate for everyone, plus the secondary rebate from age 65 and the tertiary rebate from age 75.
  3. Monthly PAYE is the yearly tax ÷ 12.
Tax = Tax from the brackets − Rebates

Tax brackets for 2026/27

Taxable income (R)Rate
1 – 245,10018%
245,101 – 383,10026% above 245,100 (+ R44,118)
383,101 – 530,20031%
530,201 – 695,80036%
695,801 – 887,00039%
887,001 – 1,878,60041%
Above 1,878,60045%

Rebates for 2026/27

RebateAgeAmount
PrimaryAllR17,820
Secondary65 and overR9,765
Tertiary75 and overR3,249

Worked example: R35,000 a month, age 35

  • Yearly taxable income = R420,000
  • Tax: R44,118 + 26% × R138,000 (R35,880) + 31% × R36,900 (R11,439) = R91,437
  • Less primary rebate R17,820 = R73,617 a year
  • Monthly PAYE ≈ R6,134.75; UIF R177.12
  • Take-home ≈ R28,688 a month; effective rate ≈ 17.5%; marginal rate 31%

Ways to reduce your tax legally

  • Retirement annuity, pension and provident fund contributions are deductible up to 27.5% of income, subject to an annual cap.
  • Medical scheme fees tax credits reduce your tax for each member on your medical aid.
  • Tax-free savings accounts let interest and growth build up tax-free up to annual and lifetime limits.
  • Interest exemption on local interest income up to a yearly amount.

Filing season

Most employees are taxed through PAYE each month. You may still need to file an income tax return during filing season, especially if you have more than one employer, rental or business income, or want to claim medical or retirement deductions. Check eFiling on the SARS website.

Compare with the Nigeria PAYE calculator and the Kenya PAYE calculator, or plan with the retirement calculator. Three of the middle bracket limits were worked out from the 2026 Budget’s inflation adjustment and are marked for checking against sars.gov.za. This is an estimate, not tax advice — see our disclaimer.

Frequently asked questions

What are the SARS tax brackets for 2026/27?

For the year from 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027 the rates rise from 18% on taxable income up to R245,100, through 26%, 31%, 36%, 39% and 41%, to 45% on income above R1,878,600. The full table is on this page.

What is the tax threshold in South Africa?

If you are under 65, you pay no income tax on taxable income up to about R99,000 a year, because the R17,820 primary rebate cancels the tax on that amount. The thresholds are higher for people aged 65 and over and 75 and over.

How much tax do I pay on R35,000 a month?

On R420,000 a year at age 35, tax before rebates is about R91,437. After the R17,820 primary rebate, tax is R73,617 a year — about R6,135 a month. UIF is R177.12 a month, leaving roughly R28,688 take-home.

What is UIF?

The Unemployment Insurance Fund contribution is 1% of your pay, up to a monthly earnings ceiling, matched by your employer. It funds benefits if you lose your job or go on maternity leave.

What is the difference between marginal and effective rate?

Your marginal rate is the rate on your next rand of income — 31% in the R35,000 example. Your effective rate is your total tax divided by your income — about 17.5% — because lower slices are taxed at lower rates and the rebate reduces the total.

Does this include medical aid credits and retirement deductions?

No. Enter your taxable income after retirement annuity and pension deductions. Medical scheme fees tax credits reduce your tax further and are not included.

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