How the income tax calculator works
Last updated 10 November 2026
South Africa taxes individuals on a sliding scale: the more taxable income you have, the higher the rate on the top slice. This tool follows the steps SARS publishes for the 2026/27 tax year (1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027), so you can see roughly what the tax on a given income is.
How it works
- Enter your taxable income for the whole year.
- Choose your age group, because the rebate and the tax threshold depend on it.
- Enter the number of medical scheme members, counting yourself, or 0 if you have none.
- Read the tax payable, your effective and marginal rates, and the bracket table.
Worked example
With the starting figures:
- Taxable income of R 420 000 gives tax of R 91 437.00 before rebates.
- The rebate for under 65s is R 17 820.00, so the tax payable is R 73 617.00, an effective rate of 17.5%.
- The top bracket reached is taxed at 31%, which is the marginal rate.
Tax brackets
The tax tables have 7 brackets. The tool works out the tax on each slice of your income and adds them up. The table under the result shows each slice, its rate and its tax, so you can see where the total comes from.
Rebates and the tax threshold
Every taxpayer gets a primary rebate of R 17 820. From age 65 a secondary rebate of R 9 765 is added, and from 75 a tertiary rebate of R 3 249. Rebates reduce the tax directly and cannot take it below zero. This is why there is no tax below the threshold: R 99 000 for under 65s, R 153 250 for ages 65 to 74 and R 171 300 from 75.
Medical scheme fees tax credit
If you are a member of a medical scheme you get a monthly credit of R 376 for yourself and for the first dependant, and R 254 for each further dependant. The tool multiplies this by 12. The credit reduces your tax but does not create a refund on its own.
Effective and marginal rate
The effective rate shows how much of your taxable income goes to tax overall. The marginal rate is the rate on your next rand. A raise is never taxed at the higher rate on the whole amount: only the part that falls in a higher bracket is.
Where the figures come from
The brackets, rebates, thresholds and credits come from the SARS tables for 2026/27. The figures register shows the date and source for each one.
What this page does not cover
It is an estimate of the tax on the taxable income you enter, not a tax return. It does not work out your taxable income and leaves out rental income, capital gains, interest, travel allowances and similar items. SARS makes the final assessment. This is information from public tables, not tax advice. Read the full disclaimer.
Things to watch
- Enter taxable income, which is after deductions, not your gross salary.
- The result is for one full tax year.
Related: the take-home pay calculator, the tax refund calculator, the bonus tax calculator and the retirement annuity tax calculator.