Guides
South African Salary Tax Guides
Plain-English explanations of how your pay is taxed for the 2026/27 tax year — written for a worried human, not a tax textbook.
How PAYE Works in South Africa
A plain-English explanation of how PAYE income tax is calculated on your salary in South Africa, with the 2026/27 brackets and a worked example.
Read guide →UIF Explained: What That Deduction Actually Is
What UIF is, how the 1% deduction works, the monthly earnings ceiling, and what you actually get for it.
Read guide →Medical Aid Tax Credits: The Discount You Might Be Missing
How the medical scheme fees tax credit reduces your PAYE, the 2026/27 monthly amounts, and how dependants change the figure.
Read guide →Retirement Contributions and the R430 000 Cap
How retirement annuity, pension and provident fund contributions reduce your tax, the 27.5% rule, and the new R430 000 annual cap.
Read guide →Contractor vs Employee: Why Your Tax Is So Different
How tax differs between permanent employees and independent contractors in South Africa, and what to set aside if you contract.
Read guide →How Your Bonus Is Taxed (and Why It Feels Like So Much)
Why your bonus seems to be taxed more heavily, how PAYE on a bonus really works, and what to actually expect in your account.
Read guide →SDL: The Payroll Levy Employers Pay (and Employees Don't)
What the Skills Development Levy is, who pays it, the 1% rate, and the small-payroll exemption.
Read guide →Understanding Your IRP5
What an IRP5 is, what the main codes and figures mean, and how to use it when you file your tax return.
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