i What this calculator does
Quick answer: A PAYE calculator converts a gross salary into the amount that actually lands in your account, after income tax, UIF and any retirement. With the default inputs (gross monthly salary 45 000, your age 35), it returns monthly take-home of R33 259.38.
A PAYE calculator converts a gross salary into the amount that actually lands in your account, after income tax, UIF and any retirement contribution. It also shows your marginal rate, which is the figure that matters if you trade.
Trading profits treated as revenue by SARS are added to your other income and taxed at your marginal rate. Knowing that rate before the tax year ends is what lets you plan provisional payments rather than be surprised by them.
This calculator is for educational purposes only. Results are estimates and may vary depending on market conditions, spreads, commissions, platform settings, and exchange rates. It should not be considered financial advice.
How to use the PAYE and Take-Home Pay Calculator
Defaults are supplied throughout, which means the calculator is useful before you have touched it.
- 1. Gross Monthly Salary (R)
- 2. Your Age Rebates increase at 65 and 75
- 3. Retirement Contribution (%) Deductible up to 27.5%, capped at R430,000 a year
- 4. Medical Aid Members Main member plus dependants
- 5. Other Monthly Income (R) Trading profits treated as revenue, rental income
- 6. Pay Frequency
The result panel reports:
- Monthly Take-Home After PAYE, UIF and retirement
- Marginal Tax Rate What extra income is taxed at
- Effective Tax Rate Total tax over total income
Alongside the headline figures, the calculator reports monthly paye, monthly uif, retirement contribution, annual tax. Those are the numbers that usually explain why the headline result came out where it did.
The arithmetic is laid out below the result, in the order it was performed.
See also: Capital Gains Tax Calculator, Dividend Withholding Tax Calculator and Bracket Creep in South Africa: What the 2025/26 Tax Freeze Cost Taxpayers.
Common results
What the calculator returns as the gross monthly salary changes, with every other input at its default (your age 35, retirement contribution 7.5, medical aid members 0, other monthly income 0, pay frequency Monthly).
| Gross Monthly Salary | Monthly Take-Home | Marginal Tax Rate | Effective Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| R15 000 | R12 712.50 | 18% | 6.8% |
| R25 000 | R20 054.38 | 26% | 11.6% |
| R50 000 | R36 347.30 | 36% | 19.5% |
| R100 000 | R64 540.13 | 41% | 27.8% |
| R200 000 | R117 977.13 | 45% | 33.4% |
| R400 000 | R219 727.13 | 45% | 37.5% |
Figures used in this calculator
The South African constants this calculator relies on, with the page that holds the current value and the date it was last verified.
- Income tax brackets 2026/27: 18% to 45%, first bracket to R245,100, top rate from R1,878,601. Source: SARS Income Tax Tables (verified 27 September 2026).
- Primary rebate: R17,820 a year. Source: SARS Income Tax Tables (verified 27 September 2026).
- Tax threshold, under 65: R99,000. Source: SARS Income Tax Tables (verified 27 September 2026).
- UIF contribution: 1% each from employee and employer, ceiling R17,712 a month. Source: PAYE, UIF and SDL Reference (verified 29 September 2026).
- VAT: 15%. Source: VAT Rates and Registration Thresholds (verified 29 September 2026).
- CGT inclusion and exclusion: 40% inclusion, R50,000 annual exclusion. Source: Capital Gains Tax Rates and Exclusions (verified 15 October 2026).
- Dividends Tax: 20%. Source: Dividend Withholding Tax by Country (verified 27 September 2026).
- Single discretionary and foreign investment allowances: R2 million and R10 million a calendar year. Source: Exchange Control Allowances (verified 27 September 2026).
How the calculation works
The calculator takes six inputs: Gross Monthly Salary, Your Age, Retirement Contribution, Medical Aid Members, Other Monthly Income and Pay Frequency. Your Age: Rebates increase at 65 and 75. Retirement Contribution: Deductible up to 27.5%, capped at R430,000 a year. Medical Aid Members: Main member plus dependants. The annual gross is R45 000.00 x 12 + other = R540 000.00. The retirement deduction is min(7.5%, 27.5%, R430 000) = R40 500.00. The taxable income is R540 000.00 - R40 500.00 = R499 500.00. The tax less rebates is R116 082.00 - R17 820.00 = R98 262.00. The breakdown also lists annual gross income, retirement deduction, taxable income and tax before rebates.
A worked example in rand
With the default inputs (gross monthly salary R45 000, your age 35, retirement contribution 7.5%, medical aid members 0, other monthly income R0 and pay frequency Monthly), the calculator returns a monthly take-home of R33 259.38, after PAYE, UIF and retirement. It also reports marginal tax rate 31% and effective tax rate 18.2%. Double the gross monthly salary to 90 000 and the monthly take-home moves from R33 259.38 to R59 082.63, the marginal tax rate moves from 31% to 41% and the effective tax rate moves from 18.2% to 26.7%.
How to read the result
The headline figure is the monthly take-home; the others are there to show where it came from. The calculators apply the current year's SARS rates; the result changes on 1 March each year and after the February Budget, so a figure from last year is not a small error but a different tax year.
The South African angle
Three things change the picture for a South African trader using the PAYE and take-home pay calculator. Provisional taxpayers, which includes most people with trading income, pay in two instalments, at the end of August and the end of February, with penalties for underestimating the second. The annual capital gains exclusion of R50,000 means a long-term investor can realise that much gain each year tax-free, which is why some traders hold a separate investment account. SARS taxes profit from frequent trading as income at the marginal rate, up to 45%, and gains on long-term investments as capital gains with 40% inclusion, so the same rand of profit can be taxed at 45% or at 18% depending on intent and frequency. The figures behind these points, and the ones the PAYE and take-home pay calculator itself uses, are on the SARS income tax tables.
Spotted an outdated figure? If a rate, limit or formula in this calculator no longer matches its source, email us the page and the source. A material correction is dated on the Updates Log.
See also: Tax on a Bonus by Amount, 2026/27
Frequently asked questions
Why does my marginal rate matter for trading?
If SARS treats your trading profits as revenue rather than capital, they are added to your other income and taxed at your marginal rate. A trader in the 36% bracket keeps R640 of every R1,000 of profit, which changes what a strategy needs to earn before it is worth the effort.
Are these the current tax tables?
The calculator uses the 2026/27 individual tables, rebates and medical credits. SARS publishes updated figures each February with the Budget, so confirm against sars.gov.za if you are calculating close to a year end.
Is UIF really capped?
Yes. The contribution is 1% of remuneration from the employee and 1% from the employer, applied to a monthly earnings ceiling. Above that ceiling the rand contribution stops rising, which is why high earners see a flat UIF line.
Does the retirement deduction include my employer's contribution?
Yes. Employer contributions are treated as a fringe benefit in your income and then form part of the deductible total, so the 27.5% and R430,000 limits apply to the combined amount rather than only what you pay.
What if I am a provisional taxpayer?
PAYE covers your salary. Trading profits, rental and freelance income usually are not covered, which is what makes you a provisional taxpayer with returns due in August and February. Use the marginal rate this calculator shows to estimate what to set aside.
Do medical aid credits reduce my tax directly?
Yes, they are credits rather than deductions, so they come off the tax itself rather than off taxable income. That makes them worth the same rand amount regardless of your bracket.
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