Tax refund calculator (South Africa)

Work out whether SARS is likely to pay you a refund, or whether you will owe tax, for the 2025/26 or 2026/27 tax year.

Your tax year

The year ends on the last day of February. Pick the year your return covers.

Income and tax paid

Salary, bonus and other taxable income before any deduction. See your tax certificate.

The total tax your employer paid to SARS for you, from your tax certificate.

Deductions and credits

Pension, provident fund or retirement annuity, yours and not your employer’s.

A total, if you have proof. Leave at 0 if unsure.

Whole number.

Estimated refund

R 20 704

Total income, 2025/26
R 420 000
Retirement deduction allowed
R 24 000
Other deductions
R 0
Taxable income
R 396 000
Tax before rebates
R 85 267.00
Rebates
R 17 235.00
Medical scheme fees tax credit
R 8 736.00
Tax for the year
R 59 296.00
PAYE already paid
R 80 000.00
Refund from SARS
R 20 704.00

This is an estimate from the published tax tables. SARS works out your final assessment from your return and the information it holds.

A refund only arrives after you file a return and SARS assesses it. Check that SARS holds the same figures as your tax certificates.

Estimates only. Not financial advice.

How the tax on R 396 000 is built up

Income tax by bracket for the 2025/26 tax year
Part of your taxable incomeTaxed atTax
R 237 10018%R 42 678.00
R 133 40026%R 34 684.00
R 25 50031%R 7 905.00

How the tax refund calculator works

Last updated 10 November 2026

When you file your income tax return, SARS works out the tax for the whole year and compares it with the PAYE already paid for you. If you paid too much you get a refund. If you paid too little you owe the difference. This tool follows the same steps using the published tax tables, so you can see roughly where you stand before you file.

How it works

  • Choose the tax year and your age group.
  • Enter your total income for the year and the PAYE already paid. Both appear on the tax certificate from your employer.
  • Add retirement contributions you made yourself, any other deductions you can prove, and your medical scheme details.
  • Read the estimated refund or amount to pay, and the line-by-line working.

Worked example

With the starting figures:

  1. Income of R 420 000 less a retirement deduction of R 24 000 gives taxable income of R 396 000 for 2025/26.
  2. The tax on that is R 85 267.00. After the rebate and the medical credit the tax for the year is R 59 296.00.
  3. PAYE paid was R 80 000.00, so the estimated refund is R 20 704.00.

The steps behind the result

The tool takes your total income and subtracts the retirement contributions that are allowed, then any other deduction you enter. That gives taxable income. It finds the tax on that amount from the bracket table, takes off the rebate for your age group, and then takes off the medical scheme fees tax credit. The answer is the tax for the year. The refund is the PAYE you paid minus that tax.

Retirement contributions

Contributions to a pension fund, provident fund or retirement annuity can reduce your taxable income, up to a share of your income and a yearly cap. The tool applies the limit for the year you chose and tells you if part of your contribution is above it.

Medical scheme credit

If you belong to a medical scheme, you get a monthly tax credit for yourself and each dependant. It reduces your tax directly. The credit cannot take your tax below zero, and it is not a refund on its own. Medical costs you paid yourself are not included in this tool.

Where the figures come from

The brackets, rebates and credits come from the SARS tax tables for each year. SARS shows the 2025/26 tables as unchanged from the year before. We read them on 10 November 2026. The figures register shows the date and the source for each one.

What this page does not cover

It is an estimate of one part of a return. Rental income, interest, capital gains, travel allowances, a home office and other items are not included unless you enter them as a deduction. SARS decides the final assessment. This is information from public tables, not tax advice. Read the full disclaimer.

Things to watch

  • The result depends on the figures you enter. Take them from your tax certificate.
  • SARS can adjust your return or ask for supporting documents, so keep your records.

Related: the take-home pay calculator, the late filing penalty and interest calculator and the tax-year countdown.

Questions people ask

How is a SARS tax refund worked out?

SARS works out the tax on your income for the whole year, after rebates, the medical scheme fees tax credit and any deductions. It then compares that with the PAYE your employer already paid. If you paid more than the tax for the year, the difference is a refund. If you paid less, you owe the difference.

Why would I get a refund?

PAYE is an estimate spread over the year. A refund can arise when payroll did not know about a deduction, such as a retirement annuity you pay yourself, when you worked for only part of the year, or when you changed jobs and the tax was worked out twice. This tool shows the result for your own figures.

Where do I find my income and PAYE figures?

Your employer gives you a tax certificate (IRP5 or IT3(a)) after the year ends. It shows your total income and the tax paid for the year. SARS also shows these figures on your pre-populated return on eFiling or the SARS MobiApp.

Which tax year should I choose?

The tax year runs from 1 March to the last day of February. Choose the year the return covers. The tables for each year come from SARS and are shown on the page with the date we checked them.

What does this calculator leave out?

It does not cover medical expenses paid out of your own pocket, travel allowances, rental income, capital gains, interest, a home office claim, or other items on a full return. Add any deduction you can prove in the “other deductions” box. SARS makes the final assessment.

Is anything stored?

No. Your numbers stay in the page and are not sent anywhere.

Take-home pay calculatorYour salary after PAYE, UIF and retirement contributions.SARS late filing penalty and interest calculatorThe fixed monthly SARS penalty for an outstanding return and interest on unpaid tax.Retirement annuity tax calculatorHow much tax an RA saves you, and what it really costs.

Figures last checked on 10 November 2026 for the 2026/27 tax year. Sources: SARS: Rates of tax for individuals, SARS: Medical scheme fees tax credit rates.

Estimates only, based on 2026/27 figures. Not financial advice. Read the full disclaimer.