USD or ZiG: Which Tax Tables Apply to You?

Zimbabwe is unusual in having two parallel sets of PAYE tax tables — one for salaries paid in US dollars, and one for salaries paid in ZiG (Zimbabwe Gold). This trips up a lot of people, so here's the plain version.

The rule is straightforward: you're taxed in the currency you're paid in. If your salary is in USD, ZIMRA's USD tables apply. If it's in ZiG, the ZiG tables apply. The two are not simple conversions of each other — they're separately published tables with their own bands, because the ZiG figures move with inflation while the USD ones stay stable across the year.

Where it gets more involved is split salaries — increasingly common in Zimbabwe, where someone might be paid, say, part in USD and part in ZiG. In that case each portion is generally taxed under its own currency's tables, and the amounts are combined for your overall position. If your pay is split, it's worth confirming with your payroll department exactly how they're applying the tables, because the treatment affects your total tax.

For most formal-sector employees on a straight USD salary, the USD tables are all you need — and that's what this calculator covers. If you're paid in ZiG, hold tight: a ZiG version is coming. In the meantime, the principle above tells you which set of rules governs your payslip.

This is general information, not tax advice. To calculate a USD salary now, use the calculator. ZiG support is coming soon.