Free alternatives to the Sage and TaxTim salary calculators (2026/27)
Last reviewed:
By Moritlha Madisha, Founder, Mzansify. Results as observed on 20 October 2026.
Disclosure: Mzansify is our product. We list it first so you can see our own results next to everyone else’s, and every claim about another tool below is what we saw it do on the test date.
Who should stay with Sage or TaxTim
- You want to file your tax return: TaxTim’s results page promotes its tax return service. A calculator estimate does not replace a return.
- You already use Sage’s products: its own calculator may suit you. Sage's website blocked our test browser on a second visit and again when we rechecked on 20 October 2026 (a "you have been blocked" page, HTTP 403), so we did not run the calculator. We cannot compare its figures.
- You need a bonus or net-to-gross tool from the same brand: SalaryCalculator.co.za and TaxTim list both a bonus tax calculator and a net-to-gross calculator on their sites; we did not run them. We did not run them. Mzansify has a bonus tax calculator and a net-to-gross mode in its income tax calculator.
Where Mzansify fits
For a salary-to-PAYE estimate with age, medical aid members and a retirement contribution, the Mzansify income tax calculator needs no sign-up and runs in your browser. On 20 October 2026 it gave R4,681 a month for the normal profile and R36,666 for the high-RA profile; TaxTim gave R4,681 and R36,666.08. It does not file returns. Its take-home line subtracts UIF by default as well as PAYE (you can switch it off), so it can read lower than tools that show gross less PAYE. For take-home at common salaries see the salary after tax table.
Decision table
| If you want to | Stay with or try | What we saw on 20 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| File a tax return | TaxTim | TaxTim's results page promotes its tax return service. Its page describes the calculator as free with no sign-up. |
| Check normal-salary PAYE for 2026/27 quickly | Mzansify, SalaryCalculator.co.za, TaxTim, Accounter, Old Mutual, South Africa Facts and PaySpace | Each gave R4,681 a month for R30,000 a month, the hand-worked figure. |
| A high-RA result consistent with the R430,000 cap | Mzansify, TaxTim, Accounter, Old Mutual and South Africa Facts | Each gave about R36,666 a month on the high-RA profile (our reading). |
| Use Sage's own calculator | Sage | Not tested. Sage's website blocked our test browser on a second visit and again when we rechecked on 20 October 2026 (a "you have been blocked" page, HTTP 403), so we did not run the calculator. |
| Reverse a take-home figure into a gross salary | Mzansify, SalaryCalculator.co.za and TaxTim | Mzansify has a net-to-gross mode in its income tax calculator. SalaryCalculator.co.za and TaxTim list a net-to-gross calculator, which we did not run. |
| Test a past tax year | Mzansify, SalaryCalculator.co.za, TaxTim, Accounter and PaySpace | Each showed more than one year in its year selector. |
The full comparison (nine calculators compared, including ours; we ran eight of them, seven competitors plus Mzansify), with every result and a limitation for each tool, is in Best free income tax calculators for South Africa (2026/27).
Tool results change. If one of them is out of date, see how we handle corrections on the methodology page.
Sources
- SARS Budget 2026 frequently asked questions (retirement deduction cap)
- SARS tax guide 2026/27 (retirement fund deduction limit)
- Act No. 3 of 2026, Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Act (Government Gazette, 1 April 2026; it does not contain the retirement deduction change)
- Moonstone Information Refinery: Budget retirement threshold changes in effect despite legislative omission (14 May 2026)
- SARS rates of tax for individuals
- SARS medical scheme fees tax credit rates
- SARS Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF)
- Each tool’s own calculator page, linked in the comparison table, as it appeared on 20 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What are free alternatives to the Sage salary calculator?
In our 20 October 2026 tests we saw no sign-up prompt at SalaryCalculator.co.za, Rand Tools, TaxTim, Accounter, Old Mutual, South Africa Facts and PaySpace, nor at Mzansify's own calculator. We could not test the Sage calculator itself, so we cannot say how it compares figure for figure. Its page says it is based on the 2026/2027 tax tables.
Is the TaxTim salary calculator free?
TaxTim's income tax calculator page describes itself as free with no sign-up, and it ran without an account on 20 October 2026. Its results page promotes its tax return service.
Does the TaxTim calculator use the 2026/27 tax year?
Yes, when you select 2027 (Mar 2026 - Feb 2027). On 20 October 2026 the form opened on 2026 (March 2025 to February 2026), so check the year before you read the result. TaxTim gave R4,681 on the R30,000 profile and R36,666.08 on the high-RA profile, against Mzansify's R4,681 and R36,666 (differences of R0 and R0.08, which is rounding).
Why did you not test the Sage salary calculator?
Sage's website blocked our test browser on a second visit and again when we rechecked on 20 October 2026 (a "you have been blocked" page, HTTP 403), so we did not run the calculator. The Sage row in our tables says "Not tested" and no figure is shown for it.
Which free calculator applies the R430,000 retirement deduction cap?
We cannot see inside the tools, so this is our reading of their results. On 20 October 2026, for a R150,000 monthly salary with a R45,000 monthly RA contribution, TaxTim, Accounter, Old Mutual and South Africa Facts gave about R36,666, consistent with the R430,000 cap; SalaryCalculator.co.za and PaySpace gave about R39,399, consistent with the old R350,000 cap; Rand Tools gave R39,425.22, matching neither cap. Mzansify, our own product, applies the R430,000 cap. SARS applies a R430,000 cap from 1 March 2026, announced in Budget 2026, but the 2026 Rates Act left the change out and it is due to be added back retrospectively with effect from that date.
Can Mzansify replace the TaxTim or Sage calculators?
For working out PAYE from a salary with age, medical aid and retirement inputs, Mzansify matched TaxTim in our tests. TaxTim gave R4,681 on the R30,000 profile and R36,666.08 on the high-RA profile, against Mzansify's R4,681 and R36,666 (differences of R0 and R0.08, which is rounding). We could not compare it with Sage. Mzansify does not file tax returns or run payroll. Stay with TaxTim for filing and with your payroll system for payslips.