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Salary and PAYE calculator
Put in a gross salary and see the PAYE, UIF and take-home pay for the 2026/27 tax year, and what the same employee costs the business. Nothing you type is sent to us or stored anywhere.
What the employee costs the business
The salary plus the business's own UIF and Skills Development Levy, every month.
The working, in full
Worked out for the year and divided by twelve, the way PAYE works for a monthly salary.
Income tax tables, 2026/27
Tax year 1 March to the end of February. This employee's bracket is highlighted.
| Taxable income a year | Tax |
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How PAYE is worked out on a monthly salary
Make it a year. The monthly salary is multiplied by twelve, because the tax tables are annual.
Take off retirement contributions. What the employee pays into a pension fund, provident fund or retirement annuity is deducted before tax, up to 27.5% of their pay and no more than R430 000 a year.
Apply the tax table, then the rebates. The tax on the yearly figure comes from the table above. Everyone gets the primary rebate; employees of 65 and older get a second one, and 75 and older a third. If the rebates are bigger than the tax, no PAYE is due, which is why nobody under 65 pays tax below R99 000 a year.
Take off the medical scheme fees tax credit. A fixed amount a month for each person on the medical aid, taken off the tax itself rather than off the income.
Divide by twelve. That is the PAYE for the month. UIF is then 1% of the salary, up to a ceiling, from the employee, and another 1% from the business.
This is a calculator, not tax advice. Bonuses, commission, travel allowances, fringe benefits and directors' pay are taxed differently and are not covered here. Check anything that matters with your accountant or with SARS.
Salary and PAYE questions answered
01 How much tax do I pay on R30 000 a month?
For an employee under 65 with no retirement or medical aid deductions, R30 000 a month is R360 000 a year. The tax on that is R73 992, less the R17 820 primary rebate, which leaves R56 172 for the year, or R4 681 PAYE a month. With R177.12 UIF, the take-home pay is R25 141.88.
02 Below what salary is no tax paid?
For the 2026/27 tax year no tax is due on income up to R99 000 a year if you are under 65, R153 250 if you are 65 to 74, and R171 300 if you are 75 or older. For a monthly salary under 65 that is R8 250 a month.
03 How is UIF worked out?
UIF is 1% of the salary from the employee and another 1% from the employer, on pay up to R17 712 a month. Above that it stays at R177.12 each.
04 What does an employee really cost the business?
The gross salary plus the employer's 1% UIF and, if the business pays more than R500 000 a year in salaries, the 1% Skills Development Levy. On R30 000 a month that is R30 000 + R177.12 + R300 = R30 477.12. Leave pay, bonuses, medical aid or pension the business contributes come on top.
05 Do pension and retirement annuity contributions lower my tax?
Yes. Contributions to a pension fund, provident fund or retirement annuity are deducted from your income before tax, up to 27.5% of your pay and no more than R430 000 a year.
06 When do the tax tables change?
The Minister of Finance announces new tables in the Budget in February, and they apply from 1 March, the start of the tax year. This calculator shows which tax year it uses at the top of the page.