How do I know if SARS owes me a refund?

Compare the PAYE your employer withheld (code 4102 on your IRP5) with the tax actually due on your income for the year. If PAYE is higher, the difference is refunded once your return is assessed. This calculator does that comparison for you.

Why would I get a tax refund?

Common reasons are retirement annuity contributions, medical expenses, a travel allowance with a logbook, working for only part of the year, or more than one employer withholding too much PAYE.

How long does a SARS refund take?

Refunds are usually paid within a few business days after your assessment if your banking details are verified. If SARS selects your return for verification or audit, it can take several weeks after you submit supporting documents.

Which year's tax tables does this calculator use?

It defaults to 2025/26, the year you file for in the 2026 filing season. You can switch to 2026/27 to estimate next year's position.

Refund estimate · filing season 2026

SARS tax refund calculator

Find out whether SARS owes you money before you file. Enter your income, deductions and the PAYE on your IRP5. The calculator applies the SARS brackets and rebates for the year and shows your estimated refund, or what you still owe.

Tax year

Your age at the end of the tax year

Total income for the year (R)

Your IRP5 gross plus any other income: rental, freelance, interest above the exemption.

Deductions (R)

Retirement fund contributions (up to 27.5% of income, capped at R350 000 for 2025/26 and R430 000 from 2026/27), plus deductible business or rental expenses.

PAYE withheld (R)

Source code 4102 on your IRP5. Add all IRP5s if you had more than one employer.

Taxable income: R 450 000
Tax payable after rebates: R 84 772
PAYE already paid: R 80 000
Estimated amount you owe SARS: R 4 772

Estimate only. Medical scheme credits and additional medical expenses would increase a refund; they are not included here.

What goes into the numbers

Income

Start with the gross remuneration on your IRP5 and add other taxable income: rental profit, freelance income, and interest above the annual exemption (R23 800 under 65, R34 500 for 65 and older).

Deductions

Retirement fund contributions are the biggest deduction for most people: up to 27.5% of your income, capped at R350 000 for 2025/26 and R430 000 from 2026/27. Rental and business expenses that relate to that income are also deductible.

PAYE

The tax your employer already paid on your behalf, shown as source code 4102 on your IRP5. If you changed jobs, add the PAYE from every IRP5.

Claim it

The refund only arrives once you file. For non-provisional taxpayers the 2026 deadline is 23 October 2026. Follow our step-by-step guide to filing your ITR12.

Frequently asked questions

Track your tax year in one place

EazyTax imports your bank statements, scans receipts and builds pre-filled IRP6 and ITR12 guides for SARS eFiling. The free plan covers the current tax year.

Start free

EazyTax is a tax-tracking tool, not a registered tax practitioner. Figures follow SARS tables published for the 2026 Budget; always confirm against sars.gov.za before filing.