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SARS tax refund estimator

Estimate whether SARS owes you a refund or you owe SARS money for the 2026/27 tax year. Enter the figures from your IRP5 and any other income, and the calculator compares the tax you have already paid with the tax you are liable for.

Rental profit or freelance income.
Your age on 28 February 2027

Additional medical expenses credit, travel allowance and other deductions are not included.

SARS may owe youR0
Taxable interestR0
Taxable incomeR0
Tax for the yearR0
PAYE already paidR0

How your refund is worked out

Your employer deducts PAYE through the year based on your salary alone. When you file your return, SARS works out your tax on all your income and deductions for the year, then compares that figure with the PAYE already paid. The calculator follows the same steps.

  1. Taxable interest. Interest from South African sources is tax-free up to R23 800 a year if you are under 65, or R34 500 if you are 65 or older. Only the amount above that is added to your income.
  2. Total income. Your salary from your IRP5, plus other taxable income such as rental profit or freelance earnings, plus any taxable interest.
  3. Retirement deduction. Contributions to a pension, provident fund or retirement annuity come off your income, up to 27.5% of the greater of your salary or taxable income, with a limit of R430 000 a year.
  4. Tax for the year. SARS applies the income tax table to your taxable income, then subtracts your age rebate and your medical aid tax credits for the months you were covered.
  5. Refund or amount owing. The PAYE on your IRP5 minus the tax for the year. A positive figure is a refund. A negative figure is what you may owe.

Example: a private retirement annuity

Thandi earns R480 000 a year and her employer deducted R92 217 in PAYE. She also paid R3 000 a month into a retirement annuity from her own bank account, so her payroll did not take it into account.

Her R36 000 in RA contributions is well under the limit, so her taxable income drops to R444 000. The tax table gives R98 877, and her R17 820 rebate brings her tax for the year to R81 057. She paid R92 217, so she can expect a refund of about R11 160.

Common questions

Why would I get a refund?

The most common reasons are retirement annuity contributions paid outside your payroll, medical aid you paid yourself, a job that started or ended part way through the year, or PAYE deducted at a higher rate than your full-year income needed.

Does this include medical expenses?

It includes the monthly medical aid tax credit. It does not include the additional medical expenses tax credit for out-of-pocket costs, which depends on your age, disability status and the amounts you paid. Your actual refund could be higher if you claim it.

Is this my final assessment?

No. It is an estimate. SARS issues your assessment after you file, and it uses all the information on record, including certificates from your employer, medical scheme and investment providers.