Take-home pay calculator
See what lands in your account after PAYE and UIF. You can also work backwards to see the gross salary you need to reach a target take home amount.
How take-home pay is worked out
Two statutory deductions come off every South African payslip: PAYE, which is your annual income tax on the official brackets divided over twelve months (after the rebate for your age), and UIF at 1% of pay, capped at the contribution ceiling. Everything else - medical aid, retirement fund, garnishees - depends on your employer and your choices.
The net-to-gross mode answers the salary negotiation question properly: to take home R25 000, you need to ask for more than R25 000 plus the tax on R25 000, because the extra salary is itself taxed.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my actual take-home lower than this?
Employer-processed deductions: medical aid, pension or provident fund, group risk cover. This calculator shows the statutory floor - PAYE and UIF - which applies to everyone.
Does a retirement fund contribution reduce my PAYE?
Yes - contributions up to 27.5% of income are deductible, so pension contributions reduce the PAYE on your payslip immediately. That is why a R2 000 pension contribution costs you less than R2 000 in take-home.
Is UIF really capped?
Yes. You contribute 1% of pay up to the ceiling (R17 712 per month), so the maximum employee contribution is R177,12 - no matter how much you earn.
Paying UIF every month?
See what UIF actually pays you if you lose your job - most people claim far less than they could.
Check my UIF benefitKeep exploring
Based on the SARS tables for the 2027 tax year (1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027), sars.gov.za.