KNOW WHAT YOUR SALARY ADDS UP TO
South Africa salary tax calculator 2025–26 (tax year 2026)
See your salary after income tax and employee UIF contributions, in South African rand.
THE NUMBERS, EXPLAINED
Your 2025–26 (tax year 2026) calculation
1 Mar 2025 – 28 Feb 2026. South Africa names this tax year after the February ending year.
Annual salary-only income tax after the under-65 primary rebate, plus employee UIF, with monthly results averaged over twelve equal payments. Employer UIF and skills development levy are not employee deductions. The 2025–26 bands and primary rebate are enacted.
2025–26 (tax year 2026) salary tax slabs
The marginal rate applies only to taxable salary within each band. In this salary-only profile, gross salary is taxable income; UIF does not reduce that tax base. The primary rebate then reduces income tax, down to zero.
| Annual taxable salary band | Marginal rate |
|---|---|
| Up to ZAR 237 100 | 18% |
| Above ZAR 237 100 to ZAR 370 500 | 26% |
| Above ZAR 370 500 to ZAR 512 800 | 31% |
| Above ZAR 512 800 to ZAR 673 000 | 36% |
| Above ZAR 673 000 to ZAR 857 900 | 39% |
| Above ZAR 857 900 to ZAR 1 817 000 | 41% |
| Above ZAR 1 817 000 | 45% |
Primary rebate and UIF deductions
The full-year primary rebate is ZAR 17 235 for a resident who remains under 65 throughout the tax year. Older taxpayers qualify for additional rebates and are outside this calculator’s profile. The rebate is non-refundable: it cannot produce negative income tax.
Employee UIF is 1% of monthly cash salary, up to an earnings ceiling of ZAR 17 712 per month. The maximum employee deduction is ZAR 177.12 per month, or ZAR 2,125.44 for twelve equal payments. The employer’s matching UIF contribution and skills development levy are employer costs and are not subtracted from your salary.
This profile assumes one private-sector job subject to UIF, with at least 24 hours of employment each month. Government employees and other exempt profiles are unsupported. Pension or retirement-annuity contributions, employer retirement benefits, medical-scheme contributions and medical tax credits are excluded; these can change actual taxable income or take-home pay.
Worked salary examples
Resident employee under 65, twelve equal monthly salaries, no other income, deductions or credits. Monthly pay is the annual estimate divided by twelve.
| Annual gross | Annual income tax | Employee UIF | Annual pay after deductions |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZAR 120 000 | ZAR 4 365 | ZAR 1 200 | ZAR 114 435 |
| ZAR 300 000 | ZAR 41 797 | ZAR 2 125,44 | ZAR 256 077,56 |
| ZAR 600 000 | ZAR 135 632 | ZAR 2 125,44 | ZAR 462 242,56 |
| ZAR 1 200 000 | ZAR 374 284 | ZAR 2 125,44 | ZAR 823 590,56 |
Salary cents are retained. Annual income tax after the non-refundable primary rebate and each monthly employee UIF amount round to cents half upward as calculator estimate conventions. UIF is then multiplied by twelve; monthly results divide annual totals by twelve. Annual inputs must divide into twelve equal monthly payments to the cent. This is not a claim of exact PAYE withholding or SARS assessment rounding.
South Africa salary after tax: common questions
Is this exact monthly PAYE withholding?
This is an annual salary-only income-tax estimate plus employee UIF, divided by twelve for comparison. Employers can round each PAYE payment and reconcile deductions during the year. Bonuses, fringe benefits, tax directives, medical credits and retirement deductions can change your actual payslip.
Which dates does the selected year cover?
2025–26 (tax year 2026) covers 1 Mar 2025 – 28 Feb 2026. Our URL year 2025 identifies the March starting year. The ending year appears separately in the selector so a calendar year is not mistaken for a South African tax year.
Why is an annual amount sometimes rejected?
The supported profile has twelve identical monthly payments to the cent. Annual input must divide into those payments exactly. Enter your actual monthly salary if your annual amount cannot be divided this way.
Is my salary sent anywhere?
The calculation runs in your browser. Salary values stay in memory and are not placed in URLs, storage, requests or analytics.
Sources you can check
Official sources checked on 11 October 2026. These estimates have not had a qualified external tax review.
- SARS individual income tax rates, rebates and thresholds
Year-specific annual tax tables and under-65 primary rebates; tax years are named after their February ending year. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- Unemployment Insurance Contributions Act 4 of 2002
Sections 4 and 6: excluded employees; employee contribution is 1% of covered remuneration, with employer matching contribution separate. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- UIF remuneration ceiling: Government Notice 475, Gazette 44641
Notice under UIC Act section 6(2), effective 1 June 2021: monthly remuneration ceiling ZAR 17,712. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- SARS UIF contribution guidance
Employee 1%, maximum ZAR 177.12 per month; under-24-hour and specified government/public-office exclusions. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Act 3 of 2026
Section 2 and Schedule I paragraph 1: enacted annual individual rates for years commencing 1 March 2025. Gazetted 1 April 2026; this Act does not establish the later March 2026 rate increases. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Act 19 of 2023
Section 3: primary rebate ZAR 17,235, effective 1 March 2023 and still applicable for tax year 2026. Accessed 11 October 2026.