Pay As You Earn Calculator
This pay as you earn calculator estimates South African PAYE tax and take-home pay from your monthly or annual gross salary. It applies the SARS tax tables, subtracts the primary rebate, and includes UIF at 1% up to the monthly ceiling. Because South African tax tables change each year, the rebate figure is editable so you can update it for the current tax year.
Calculator
Results are estimates where a disclaimer applies.
How to use this pay as you earn calculator
- Enter your gross monthly salary, or your annual salary and choose annual input.
- Check the primary rebate — it is editable for the current tax year.
- Choose whether to include UIF.
- Click Calculate to see annual tax, monthly PAYE, UIF and take-home pay.
Worked example: on R40,000 per month (R480,000 per year), annual tax before rebate is R111,307 using the tables built into this calculator, less the R17,235 primary rebate, giving annual PAYE of R94,072 and monthly PAYE of R7,839.33 before UIF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PAYE in South Africa?
PAYE stands for Pay As You Earn. Your employer deducts income tax from your salary each month and pays it to SARS, so the tax is spread across the year rather than paid in one lump sum.
How is PAYE calculated?
Your annual taxable income is taxed using the SARS tax tables, the primary rebate is subtracted, and the result is divided by 12 to give monthly PAYE. UIF is deducted separately.
Why is my take-home pay different from this estimate?
Pension and medical aid contributions, additional rebates, fringe benefits and employer-specific deductions all change the final figure. This calculator uses salary, rebate and UIF only.
Do tax tables change every year?
Yes. SARS tables and rebates are usually updated each tax year, so update the rebate figure in the calculator and check the current tables for the year you are calculating.