Updated July 2026 for the 2026/2027 SARS tax year (1 March 2026 – 28 February 2027). This guide explains every field in our free income tax calculator South Africa — including PAYE, UIF, medical credits, travel, fringe benefits, and the section 11F retirement deduction cap — so you can estimate take-home pay with confidence.
South Africans search for tools like “tax calculator South Africa”, “PAYE calculator”, and “SARS tax calculator 2026” every month. The leaders on Google (TaxTim, Old Mutual, Sage, and dedicated PAYE tools) all estimate monthly tax. Where many stop at salary + RA + medical, our calculator also models fringe benefits, employer retirement contributions, and a proper s11F cap (27.5% / R350 000 or R430 000 for 2026/27).
Use the free tool: Blu Solutions SARS PAYE Tax Calculator — 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27 brackets.
Estimates only — not a SARS assessment. For filing, contact Blu Solutions (Mossel Bay · Garden Route · online nationwide).
What an income tax calculator actually calculates
A South African income tax calculator (also called a PAYE calculator or salary tax calculator) annualises your earnings, subtracts allowable deductions, applies SARS progressive tax brackets, subtracts rebates and medical scheme tax credits, then divides by 12 for monthly PAYE. Many tools also estimate UIF and take-home (net) pay.
It is not a full IRP5 rebuild. Capital gains, section 18A donations, additional medical tax credits, and tax directives need a practitioner or eFiling.
How our calculator compares with TaxTim, Old Mutual and Sage
OpenSEO / Google SERP checks for South Africa (July 2026) show the same competitive set again and again:
- TaxTim — usually #1 for “income tax calculator South Africa” and “PAYE calculator South Africa”
- Old Mutual — strong #2; age + salary, with advanced retirement and medical inputs
- Sage (and Sage Online Tax) — payroll-brand trust; salary and tax tables
- payecalculator.co.za, Accounter, PaySpace, govchain — solid PAYE / net-pay tools
Where Blu Solutions is built to compete:
- Three tax years in one tool (2024/25–2026/27), not only the latest year
- Travel allowance with your business-use % (not only a fixed 80% taxable assumption)
- Section 11F retirement cap applied correctly — including the R430 000 2026/27 limit
- Separate fields for RA, pension/provident, employer retirement (fringe), and other taxable fringe benefits
- Clear outputs: monthly/annual PAYE, take-home, taxable income, allowed s11F deduction, and excess carry-forward
Old Mutual’s calculator is polished for individuals saving for retirement. TaxTim is the SERP incumbent. Our edge is IRP5-style payroll inputs explained for employees and small-business owners who want a transparent estimate before they file.
Every calculator field explained
1. Tax year (2024/25, 2025/26, 2026/27)
SARS rates change by year of assessment. Pick the year that matches the salary you are modelling. For current pay from March 2026 onward, use 2026/2027. Older years help you reconcile a prior IRP5 or check historical payslips.
2. Monthly gross salary (cash)
Enter basic cash salary excluding travel if you will capture travel separately. This is the starting point for remuneration and take-home cash.
People also search “tax on 30 000 salary South Africa” and similar — plug the amount into the calculator for an instant estimate.
3. Age (under 65 / 65–74 / 75+)
Age unlocks secondary and tertiary rebates. Higher rebates raise the tax-free threshold and lower PAYE for the same taxable income.
4. Monthly RA contributions
Your retirement annuity contributions. They reduce taxable income under section 11F, subject to the 27.5% and annual rand caps (see below).
5. Monthly pension / provident (employee)
Employee contributions to pension or provident funds. Combined with RA and employer retirement contributions for the s11F limit.
6. Monthly employer retirement contribution
What your employer pays into a retirement fund. SARS treats this as a taxable fringe benefit in your hands, and it also counts toward your s11F deduction. It increases remuneration for tax, then comes back (within limits) as a deduction — it is not deducted from your bank take-home.
7. Monthly other taxable fringe benefits
Company car (taxable value), housing, low-interest loans, and similar IRP5 fringe codes. These increase taxable remuneration even when you do not receive extra cash.
8. Medical aid members
Drives the medical scheme fees tax credit (section 6A): for 2026/27, R376 per month for each of the first two beneficiaries and R254 for each additional dependant. Credits reduce tax payable, not taxable income.
9. Monthly travel allowance + business-use %
Enter the travel allowance paid in cash. Then enter business-use % (for example 80). Only the personal portion is taxed:
Taxable travel = travel × (1 − businessUse)
Take-home still includes the full travel cash paid. Without a logbook, many payrolls tax 80% of travel by default — that is the same as entering business use of 20%.
10. Include UIF
Employee UIF is 1% of relevant remuneration, capped (currently R177.12 per month on our tables). Our tool applies UIF to salary + travel + other fringe (within the monthly cap).
Section 11F retirement deduction — the cap everyone forgets
This is the gap many simple calculators skip. Under section 11F, deductible retirement contributions (pension + provident + RA + employer contributions treated as yours) are limited to the lesser of:
- Your actual contributions for the year; and
- 27.5% of the greater of remuneration or taxable income (before the s11F deduction); and
- The annual rand cap — R350 000 for 2024/25 and 2025/26, and R430 000 for 2026/27 (Budget 2026 increase).
Anything above the limit shows in our results as retirement excess (carry forward) — it may be usable in later years, subject to SARS rules.
Related searches: “retirement annuity tax deduction South Africa”, “retirement annuity calculator”, “how to calculate PAYE on salary”.
How taxable income and take-home are built
- Remuneration / income before s11F ≈ cash salary + fringe + taxable (personal) travel + employer retirement fringe
- Allowed s11F deduction = min(contributions, 27.5% limit, annual rand cap)
- Taxable income = remuneration − allowed deduction
- Annual tax from SARS brackets, minus age rebates and medical credits
- Monthly PAYE = annual tax ÷ 12
- Take-home cash ≈ salary + travel − PAYE − UIF − employee RA/pension (employer retirement is not a cash deduction)
2026/2027 SARS individual tax brackets (quick reference)
| Taxable income (R) | Rates of tax |
|---|---|
| 1 – 245 100 | 18% of taxable income |
| 245 101 – 383 100 | R44 118 + 26% above R245 100 |
| 383 101 – 530 200 | R79 998 + 31% above R383 100 |
| 530 201 – 695 800 | R125 599 + 36% above R530 200 |
| 695 801 – 887 000 | R185 215 + 39% above R695 800 |
| 887 001 – 1 878 600 | R259 783 + 41% above R887 000 |
| 1 878 601 and above | R666 339 + 45% above R1 878 600 |
Primary rebate for 2026/27: R17 820. Secondary (65+): R9 765. Tertiary (75+): R3 249. Always confirm final figures on the official SARS rates page.
Worked example (illustrative)
Assume 2026/27, under 65, R35 000 cash salary, R2 000 RA, no fringe/travel, no medical, UIF on:
- Annual remuneration ≈ R420 000
- s11F deduction ≈ R24 000 (well under 27.5% and R430 000)
- Taxable income ≈ R396 000 before rebates flow through the tax calculation
Change one variable — add a company car fringe, raise RA past the 27.5% limit, or set travel business use — and PAYE moves immediately. That is why each field is exposed in the tool.
FAQ: income tax and PAYE calculator South Africa
Is there an official SARS tax calculator?
SARS publishes rates and employer guides. Most “SARS tax calculator” Google results are third-party tools (TaxTim, Old Mutual, Sage, Blu Solutions, and others) that apply those official tables.
Does a retirement annuity reduce PAYE?
Yes, within section 11F limits. Excess contributions do not reduce this year’s taxable income further, but may carry forward.
Should I include fringe benefits?
Yes, if they appear on your IRP5 / payslip as taxable. Ignoring fringe understates PAYE.
How accurate is a free online calculator?
Good for planning and sense-checking payslips. Not a substitute for a full return, provisional tax, or audit response. Individual returns with Blu Solutions start from R850 — see pricing on the calculator page.
Next steps
- Run your numbers on the free PAYE / income tax calculator
- Compare the s11F allowed deduction and excess with your RA / pension totals
- If you need filing, provisional tax, or IRP5 review, book a consultation or WhatsApp 082 206 4316
Serving Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Cape Town, and clients nationwide online. More on tax services and payroll / PAYE.
Disclaimer: Educational estimate based on published SARS tables. Not tax advice. Rules and limits can change — verify against SARS before you file.