If you earn R30,000 a month as a South African tax resident under 65, expect roughly R4,800 a month in income tax before any tax credits or other adjustments. UIF can take a further R177.12, leaving about R25,023 before pension, medical aid and other payroll deductions. Your exact PAYE depends on the tax year’s SARS tables and your personal circumstances.

The estimate below uses the 2025/26 tax brackets and primary rebate as an illustration, so it is not a confirmed 2026/27 payroll calculation. Tax years run from 1 March to the end of February; check the applicable tables with SARS or your payroll department before relying on the figure. The worked example also shows what can change your net pay.

How much tax will you pay on R30k a month?

Using the 2025/26 individual tax rates, an employee earning R30,000 every month has estimated income tax of R57,397 for the year, or about R4,783 a month. This assumes R360,000 annual taxable income, the primary rebate, no other taxable income and no deductions or credits that change the calculation.

The arithmetic is straightforward. The first R237,100 is taxed at 18%, which gives R42,678. The remaining R122,900 is taxed at 26%, adding R31,954; subtract the R17,235 primary rebate and the annual tax estimate is R57,397.

That calculation is a useful benchmark, not a promise that your payslip will show exactly R4,783 of PAYE. Employers calculate PAYE using SARS rules and payroll details, and the applicable tax brackets or rebates can change between tax years. Confirm the current tax year’s figures on the SARS website.

Illustration: R30,000 gross pay minus about R4,783 PAYE and R177.12 UIF leaves about R25,040. That is before retirement contributions, medical aid, insurance, staff loans or other deductions. Your net salary can therefore be lower even when your tax calculation is correct.

What does the R30,000 payslip calculation include?

PAYE is the income tax your employer deducts from salary and pays to SARS on your behalf. In this example, the annual salary is R30,000 multiplied by 12, or R360,000; the estimated annual tax is divided by 12 to give a monthly planning figure.

UIF is separate from income tax. Employees generally contribute 1% of remuneration, subject to the monthly earnings ceiling. At a salary of R30,000, the contribution is capped at R177.12 a month under the ceiling used for this illustration, rather than being 1% of the full salary. Employers also contribute UIF, but that employer contribution is not another deduction from your stated gross pay.

Gross salary and taxable income are not always identical. A taxable bonus, commission, fringe benefit or second job can increase the amount used for tax, while qualifying retirement contributions and certain tax credits can affect the final liability. Your employment contract may also quote a total cost to company, which can include employer-paid benefits rather than cash salary.

For a quick payslip check, compare your annual taxable income, PAYE and UIF separately. If your employer deducts retirement contributions or medical aid, don’t subtract those from the tax estimate and assume they are all income tax. Ask payroll for the taxable remuneration and deduction breakdown if the numbers do not match.

Why can your actual PAYE be higher or lower?

Your age matters because individuals aged 65 and older qualify for an additional rebate, and a further rebate applies from age 75. Those rebates reduce tax; they do not reduce gross pay. The estimate above assumes you are under 65 and uses only the primary rebate.

Retirement contributions can also change taxable income, subject to SARS limits and the details of the contribution. If you contribute to an employer pension or retirement annuity, check how the contribution is treated on your payslip rather than assuming that every rand is immediately deductible. Tax credits, including qualifying medical scheme fees tax credits, can reduce tax due, but the amount depends on the tax year and your circumstances.

Other income can push your total tax above the salary-only estimate. Interest, rental income, freelance work or a second employer may affect your annual tax bill, even if your main employer’s monthly PAYE looks reasonable. SARS reconciles tax through the annual return or assessment where applicable, so an under-deduction during the year can leave an amount payable.

A common mistake is to treat the salary figure in a job advert as the amount that will arrive in your bank account. Check whether the offer is basic salary or total cost to company, and ask which benefits and deductions sit inside that amount. A larger contribution to a retirement fund can reduce take-home pay now while changing your tax calculation; compare the full package, not the headline salary alone.

How to estimate your take-home pay from R30,000

Start with the monthly gross salary, then estimate PAYE using the correct tax-year tables, subtract UIF and only then account for your other payroll deductions. For the illustration here, R30,000 less about R4,783 PAYE and R177.12 UIF gives approximately R25,040 before other deductions.

If your contract includes a pension contribution, medical aid or group life cover, ask the employer for a sample payslip before accepting the offer. This is especially useful when comparing two jobs: one may pay a higher cash salary while the other includes employer contributions or benefits that reduce your monthly cash but have value.

For a first check, compare the monthly PAYE with the annual tax estimate multiplied by 12, then check that UIF is shown separately. Small differences can arise from payroll rounding or variable pay. A large difference calls for a question to payroll, especially if you have a bonus, commission or taxable benefit.

What should you check for the 2026/27 tax year?

For a payslip dated in October 2026, the relevant tax year is generally 2026/27, running from 1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027. The example above uses 2025/26 figures because the precise 2026/27 rates and payroll treatment should be checked against SARS’s published guidance, rather than assumed to be unchanged.

Use the official SARS tax tables or a current payroll calculator that identifies the tax year and inputs your age, taxable benefits, retirement contributions and medical scheme credits. If your employer’s calculation differs, ask which annual tax table and taxable income figure it used. That will usually explain more than comparing the PAYE deduction with a flat percentage.

If you’re deciding whether R30,000 is enough for your budget, plan from net pay rather than gross salary and leave room for deductions that the estimate excludes. For an individual tax or payroll decision, this is general information; a registered tax practitioner or SARS can advise on your own position.

Today, check your latest payslip’s taxable remuneration and tax year against the SARS tables, then compare the resulting net pay with the salary figure in your employment offer.