South African capital gains tax

Capital gains tax calculator

Work out how much of an asset you can sell to make full use of your annual capital gains tax (CGT) exclusion, and estimate the CGT you would pay on a sale. Adjust the settings to match your situation.

What's my SARS marginal tax rate?

Enter your gross income (monthly or yearly) below. The result shows your top (marginal) tax bracket and rate per the latest SARS tax tables.

Income period

Monthly Yearly

Gross income Monthly income before tax (Rands)

              Marginal tax rate
              —
            

Tax bracket —

Annual equivalent income —

Enter your gross income to see your marginal rate.

Settings

Annual CGT exclusion Rands Marginal tax rate Percent of income taxed at your top rate Inclusion rate 40% for individuals, 80% for companies

How much can I sell to fully use the exclusion?

Enter the percentage gain the asset has made since you bought it. The result is the sale amount whose capital gain equals your annual exclusion, so no CGT is payable on that sale.

Percentage gain Percent gain since you bought it

              Sell amount
              —
            

Implied base cost —

Capital gain —

CGT on this sale (after exclusion) —

Enter a positive percentage gain.

Capital gains tax on a sale

Enter the proceeds you receive from the sale and the base cost (what you paid for it). The calculator shows the tax with and without the annual exclusion so you can see what the exclusion saves you.

Proceeds Amount you receive from the sale (Rands) Base cost What you paid for it (Rands)

Capital gain —

Taxable gain (with exclusion) —

              Tax with exclusion
              —
            

Tax without exclusion —

Tax saved by exclusion —

Net proceeds after tax —

Percentage gain —

Enter both the proceeds and the base cost.

How much capital do I need for a target income?

Enter the coupon or interest rate you can get, and the gross annual income you need. Find out how much capital you need to invest to generate that income each year (before tax).

Coupon / interest rate Annual percentage return you can earn, e.g. an 8% bond Gross annual income needed Gross income per year before tax (Rands)

              Capital required
              —
            

Monthly income equivalent —

Enter your target rate and the annual income you need.

Notes

This is an estimate for general guidance only and is not tax or financial advice. Calculations use: capital gain = proceeds − base cost; taxable gain = (capital gain − exclusion) × inclusion rate; CGT = taxable gain × marginal tax rate.

SARS's annual CGT exclusion for individuals is currently R40,000 (R300,000 in the year of death), and the inclusion rate for individuals is 40%. The defaults above are adjustable to reflect your own figures, which may change from year to year. Costs directly related to a sale (such as broker fees) can be subtracted from the proceeds.