Two-Pot Withdrawal Calculator 2026
This two-pot withdrawal calculator estimates what you’d actually receive after tax if you withdraw from your savings pot. Because the withdrawal is taxed at your marginal rate, enter both your withdrawal amount and your other yearly income so the tax can be worked out using the official SARS brackets.
Last updated: May 2026 · Source: SARS · National Treasury
Your salary or other taxable income for the full tax year, before this withdrawal.
How a Savings-Pot Withdrawal Is Taxed
A savings-pot withdrawal is not taxed at a special low rate — SARS adds it on top of your income for the year and taxes it at your marginal rate, the rate that applies to your top slice of income. There is no tax-free portion and none of the deductions that apply to lump sums at retirement. This calculator works out the tax the way SARS does: it calculates your tax with the withdrawal included, subtracts the tax you would have paid without it, and the difference is the tax on your withdrawal. Your fund then applies to SARS for a tax directive, deducts that tax, and pays you the rest.
Why You Get Less Than You Asked For
Many people are surprised by how much tax comes off. If your income already sits near the top of a tax bracket, the withdrawal can be taxed at 31%, 36% or even higher, because it is stacked on top of what you already earn. A withdrawal can also push part of itself into the next bracket. On top of the tax shown here, your fund charges an administration fee, and if you owe SARS any money — such as outstanding tax or penalties — SARS can instruct your fund to deduct that too before you are paid. So the amount that actually lands in your account may be a little lower than the after-tax figure above.
The Withdrawal Rules
You can make one savings-pot withdrawal per tax year, which runs from 1 March to the end of February. The minimum withdrawal is R2,000, and you can take up to whatever is available in your savings component — you cannot withdraw from your retirement component before retirement, or from your vested component except under the old rules. If your savings pot has less than R2,000 in it, you cannot withdraw until it builds up through further contributions. Remember that anything you take now is money that will not be there, with growth, when you retire.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a two-pot withdrawal taxed?
At your marginal rate. The withdrawal is added to your income for the year and taxed at the same rate as your salary, with no tax-free portion.
What is the minimum I can withdraw?
R2,000. If your savings pot holds less than that, you cannot withdraw until it grows through further contributions.
How often can I withdraw?
Once per tax year, which runs from 1 March to the end of February.
Is this my exact payout?
It's a close estimate of the tax. Your actual payout is also reduced by your fund's admin fee and any money you owe SARS, and is confirmed by SARS in a tax directive.
Related pages
📋 Verified — Official sources: SARS (two-pot system) · National Treasury
⚠️ This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. KnowMyGovt is not affiliated with SARS nor the South African government. Your exact payout is confirmed by SARS in a tax directive — always confirm with your retirement fund.
