Monthly taxable value of a right-of-use company car.
Monthly taxable benefit
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Gross benefit / mo
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Annual taxable value
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A company car is a perk you pay tax on
If your employer gives you a car you can use privately, SARS treats that private use as a benefit in your hands and taxes it, the same way it would tax extra salary. The mechanism is a monthly fringe benefit value based on the car's determined value, and PAYE is charged on that value through your payslip. This calculator works out the taxable value so you can see what the perk really costs you before you decide whether to take the company car or negotiate a travel allowance or cash instead. The number it produces is the taxable value of the benefit, not the tax itself, which is an important distinction we come back to below.
3.5 percent, or 3.25 percent with a maintenance plan
The monthly benefit is a percentage of the car's determined value, which is broadly the cash cost of the vehicle including VAT. The rate this calculator applies is 3.5 percent a month, reduced to 3.25 percent if the employer carries a maintenance plan that covers servicing and repairs, since you then receive a smaller real benefit. These percentages are the figures modelled here, and you should confirm the current rates with SARS. From that monthly value, PAYE is withheld on a portion each month rather than the whole amount: 80 percent of the benefit by default, dropping to 20 percent if you can show that at least 80 percent of your driving is for business. On assessment, the final taxable value is reduced for the proportion of business kilometres you can prove with a logbook, which is why keeping one is non-negotiable.
A R450,000 car with no maintenance plan
Suppose the car has a determined value of R450,000, no maintenance plan, and no business-use proportion entered yet. The benefit is 3.5 percent of the value each month.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Determined value | R450,000 |
| Monthly rate applied | 3.5 percent |
| Gross monthly fringe benefit | R15,750 |
| Annual taxable value | R189,000 |
| If a maintenance plan applied (3.25 percent) | R14,625 a month |
That R15,750 is added to your income for the purpose of working out tax. The actual cash it costs you is your marginal tax rate applied to it. For someone in a 36 percent band, PAYE on 80 percent of the benefit, R12,600 a month, would be roughly R4,536 a month, and your assessment then trims the value back for proven business use. Prove that 60 percent of your kilometres are for business with a logbook, and the taxable value drops to 40 percent of R15,750, slashing the tax accordingly.
The logbook is the whole game
The single biggest mistake with a company car is not keeping a logbook. Without one, SARS assumes your private use is high and you are taxed on most of the benefit, even if you genuinely drive mainly for work. A compliant logbook records opening and closing odometer readings for the year and the business kilometres with dates, destinations, and reasons. Get this right and the reduction on assessment can be substantial. It is also worth comparing the company car against the alternatives before accepting it: a travel allowance, where you claim against the prescribed rate per kilometre, or simply taking the cash and buying your own car, can work out better depending on the vehicle value and how much you actually drive for business. This tool gives you the company-car side of that comparison.
Is the fringe benefit value the tax I pay, or something else?
It is the taxable value, not the tax. The benefit is added to your income, and you pay tax on it at your marginal rate. So a R15,750 monthly benefit does not cost you R15,750; it costs you the tax on it, which depends on your tax band and your proven business use. Think of it as extra taxable salary rather than a direct charge.
Does fuel or a driver paid by my employer change the benefit?
Yes. If your employer also covers fuel, insurance, or a driver for your private use, those can add further taxable value on top of the basic right-of-use benefit this tool models. Conversely, amounts you pay towards the running costs yourself can reduce the benefit. The calculator covers the core determined-value benefit, so treat extras as additions to it.