South African personal income tax, 2026

Personal tax tools that show their workings.

Compute South African personal income tax, see the reasoning behind every figure, and turn it into a plain-language report. Built for individuals and tax practitioners.

Start for Free Book a demo

Your data is encrypted; we can’t read it from our servers.

A worked example: a salaried earner on R720 000 with a retirement annuity and medical cover, under 65, for the 2026 tax year. Here is exactly how the figure is reached.

Gross income: R720 000
less retirement annuity: −R72 000
Taxable income: R648 000
Normal tax: R170 147,00
less primary rebate: −R17 235,00
less medical credits: −R8 736,00
Estimated tax payable: R144 176,00

TaxRationale isn’t just a tax calculator.

It explains the reasoning behind every number.

Every schedule in one return: employment, investments, rental, capital gains, travel and cross-border.

Side-by-side scenario comparison, so you see the tax effect of a decision before you commit.

A plain-language report that explains how each figure was reached, ready for a client file or your records.

The engine runs on your device against current SARS rates, and computations work fully offline.

See what a decision is worth before you make it.

Here is the worked example again, with one thing changed. The engine recomputes the whole return both ways, so the difference is a computed figure, not a promise.

As things stand

Retirement annuity: R72 000
Taxable income: R648 000
Normal tax: R170 147,00
Estimated tax payable: R144 176,00

Contribute R 30 000 more

Retirement annuity: R102 000
Taxable income: R618 000
Normal tax: R159 347,00
Estimated tax payable: R133 376,00

One decision saves R10 800,00 in tax this year: the 36% marginal rate, returned on every extra rand contributed.

The same salaried earner as the worked example above, recomputed in full by the engine on 2026 SARS rates. Both columns are live output, not mockups.

Compare your own scenarios

How it Works

TaxRationale asks only the questions that matter to your situation. Tell it about your income, deductions and circumstances, and it adapts, surfacing the right schedules for employment, investments, rental, capital gains and cross-border income without drowning you in irrelevant fields.

Prepare and compare scenarios side by side to find the most favourable, fully compliant tax position. Every figure is computed against current SARS rules, so you can plan with confidence before you file.

When you’re done, generate a comprehensive, plain-language report that explains exactly how each number was reached, ready to share with a client or keep for your records.

The 2026 SARS rate bands, from 18% to 45%. The worked example’s taxable income of R 648 000 sits in the 36% band, so its next rand of income is taxed at 36%.

Our Suite

Less busywork. No compromise on accuracy.