South African income tax and take-home pay calculator
Enter what you earn and see exactly what SARS takes, what your rebates and medical credits give back, and what actually lands in your bank account each month. Tax year 2025/26 (1 March 2025 – 28 February 2026).
Monthly take-home
R 36 728
Annual tax
R 97 144
Monthly tax
R 8 095
Effective rate
18.0%
Marginal rate
31%
How it is worked out
| Gross income | R 540 000 |
| Retirement deduction | − R 36 000 |
| Taxable income | R 504 000 |
| Tax per the tables | R 118 747 |
| Rebates | − R 17 235 |
| Medical scheme credits | − R 4 368 |
| Income tax payable | R 97 144 |
| UIF | − R 2 125 |
| Net annual pay | R 440 731 |
The 2025/26 tax tables
| Taxable income | Rate of tax |
|---|---|
| R 0 – R 237 100 | 18% of the amount above R 0 |
| R 237 101 – R 370 500 | R 42 678 + 26% of the amount above R 237 100 |
| R 370 501 – R 512 800 | R 77 362 + 31% of the amount above R 370 500 |
| R 512 801 – R 673 000 | R 121 475 + 36% of the amount above R 512 800 |
| R 673 001 – R 857 900 | R 179 147 + 39% of the amount above R 673 000 |
| R 857 901 – R 1 817 000 | R 251 258 + 41% of the amount above R 857 900 |
| R 1 817 001 and above | R 644 489 + 45% of the amount above R 1 817 000 |
Rebates: primary R 17 235, secondary R 9 444 from age 65, tertiary R 3 145 from age 75.
Questions South Africans ask
- Which tax year does this calculator use?
- It uses the SARS 2025/26 (1 March 2025 – 28 February 2026) tables, including the primary, secondary and tertiary rebates and the monthly medical scheme fees tax credits.
- How much of my retirement contribution is deductible?
- Section 11F allows a deduction of the lesser of 27.5% of the greater of remuneration or taxable income, and R350 000 a year. Anything above that is carried forward, not lost.
- Why is my IRP5 number slightly different?
- Employers apply travel allowances, fringe benefits, bonuses and pay-period rounding. This calculator works on annual totals, so treat it as an accurate planning estimate rather than a payslip replica.
- Do medical scheme credits reduce my tax directly?
- Yes. Credits are subtracted from tax payable, not from income. The main member and first dependant are worth R364 a month each, and every further dependant R246.
- When do I not have to pay income tax?
- Below the tax threshold no income tax is due: R95 750 under 65, R148 217 from 65, and R165 689 from 75.
Next step
Want the tax levers applied to your actual situation?
Book a free 30-minute conversation with an authorised advisor from 1st Group Capital, FSP 49632. No cost, no obligation.
This calculator is published for general financial education and does not constitute tax, financial or legal advice. Figures are estimates based on the inputs supplied and exclude travel allowances, fringe benefits, lump sums and provisional tax adjustments.