Salary & PAYE calculator
Gross to take-home for the 2026/27 tax year (2026-03-01 to 2027-02-28).
- Gross salary
- R25 000
- Retirement contribution (deductible)
- − R0.00
- PAYE (effective 13.5%, marginal 26%)
- − R3 381.00
- UIF (1%, capped)
- − R177.12
- Take-home pay
- R21 441.88
Annual: taxable income R300 000, tax before rebates R58 392, rebates R17 820, medical credits R0. Tables: SARS Budget 2026/27 Tax Pocket Guide (Budget Speech 25 Feb 2026): brackets, rebates and thresholds raised 3.4%; retirement cap R430 000; cross-checked against TaxTim, Xero and Accounter tables.
How PAYE is worked out
SARS taxes your annual income in brackets, then subtracts the rebates everyone gets (a primary rebate, plus extra rebates from age 65 and 75) and the medical scheme fees tax credit. The result, divided by twelve, is the PAYE on a steady monthly salary. UIF is a separate 1% deduction up to a monthly earnings ceiling, matched by your employer.
Retirement fund contributions — pension, provident or retirement annuity — are deducted from income before tax, up to 27.5% of your remuneration and an annual cap, which is why the same contribution saves more tax for a higher earner.
Take-home pay and loan affordability
Lenders assess affordability on what lands in your account, not your gross. If you are comparing loans, run your net pay here first and use it as the income figure when a lender asks: the number they will verify against your bank statement is the net one.
Questions people ask
›Which tax year does this calculator use?
The current SARS tax year, which runs from 1 March to the end of February. The year in use and the date its tables were verified are shown above the results.
›Why is my payslip different?
Employers apply PAYE on actual earnings each month, so bonuses, overtime and mid-year increases change the monthly deduction. This calculator assumes the same gross every month.
›Is UIF capped?
Yes. The 1% employee contribution is calculated on earnings up to a monthly ceiling, so above that ceiling the UIF deduction stops growing.
›Do medical aid contributions reduce tax?
Not directly. SARS gives a fixed monthly tax credit for the taxpayer and each dependant on a registered medical scheme, which reduces the tax payable.