Medical Tax Credit Calculator (South Africa)
Belong to a medical aid? SARS owes you a tax credit, plus an extra one for heavy medical bills that many people never claim. Work out both.
Medical tax credit estimate
Medical Tax Credit Calculator
Work out the medical scheme fees tax credit SARS owes you for being on a medical aid, plus the extra credit for big medical bills or a disability. Many people never claim the extra one.
Filing season for the 2026 tax year is open now, so it is the default. Pick 2027 if you are planning ahead for the current year.
Count yourself as the main member, plus every dependant on the same scheme, a spouse, children or others you cover. The credit does not depend on which plan or how much you pay, only on how many people are covered.
Add big medical bills, age 65+ or a disability to check for an extra credit
On top of the standard credit above, SARS gives a second credit for medical costs that got heavy. It counts the part of your medical aid contributions that was unusually high, plus the money you paid out of your own pocket that the scheme did not cover. Leave this closed if none of it applies to you.
If you are 65 or older, or there is a recognised disability in your immediate family, SARS is far more generous with this second credit and there is no income hurdle to clear first.
The full amount paid to the scheme for the year, the total on your scheme's tax certificate. Include any part your employer paid on your behalf, since that is added to your income as a fringe benefit.
Only the shortfall you actually paid yourself and the scheme did not cover, doctor and dentist gaps, medicines, glasses, and similar. Do not include anything the scheme reimbursed, or you will count it twice.
Your salary, pension or other taxable income for the year. We need it because, if you are under 65 with no disability, only the medical costs above 7.5% of your income count. It also lets us check the credit does not exceed the tax you actually owe.
💬 Questions about your medical tax credit? Discuss this tool on the forum →
The medical aid tax credit, and the extra one most people miss
If you belong to a medical scheme in South Africa, SARS gives you money back at tax time, and there are two separate credits, not one. The first, the medical scheme fees tax credit (often just called the medical aid tax credit), is automatic and simple, a fixed rand amount for every person on your medical aid. The second is the one people forget, an additional credit for years when medical costs ran high, whether through your contributions or through the bills you paid out of your own pocket. This free medical aid tax credit calculator works out both for the 2026 and 2027 tax years, using the official SARS figures.
The first credit, the medical scheme fees tax credit, does not care which plan you are on or how much you pay, only how many people are covered. If you earn a salary it is usually already built into your monthly PAYE, so you receive it through the year. The second credit, the additional medical expenses tax credit, is claimed when you file, and this is where age and health change everything, the rules are far more generous from age 65 or where there is a disability in the family. Enter your details above and the tool shows exactly what you are owed, and warns you when a credit is bigger than the tax you actually pay, since a credit can never become a refund on its own.
How much is the medical scheme fees tax credit?
It is a set amount per person per month, updated each year in the February budget. Here are the current amounts for the two tax years the calculator covers.
| Medical scheme fees tax credit | 2026 year | 2027 year |
|---|---|---|
| Main member (you) | R364 a month | R376 a month |
| First dependant | R364 a month | R376 a month |
| Each further dependant | R246 a month | R254 a month |
| Family of four for the year | R14,640 | R15,120 |
Who gets the additional medical expenses credit
The second credit splits taxpayers into two groups. If you, your spouse or your child is 65 or older, or has a disability recognised by SARS, you get back a third of your qualifying medical costs, which are your scheme contributions above three times your fees credit plus everything you paid out of pocket, and there is no income hurdle to clear. Everyone else falls under the harder rule, only the part of those costs that passes 7.5% of taxable income counts, and you get a quarter of that. It is a high bar, so many younger, healthier people receive nothing from this second credit, while still getting the full scheme fees credit. The calculator applies the right rule for you automatically once you fill in the extra section.
Once you know your credit, the next question is usually whether your plan is still the right one. See our medical aid plan comparison, check exactly what your scheme must pay for by law with the PMB checker, or browse all our free South African tools and calculators.
Frequently asked questions
What is the medical tax credit in South Africa?
The medical tax credit is money SARS takes off your tax bill because you belong to a registered medical scheme. It comes in two parts. The first, the medical scheme fees tax credit, is a fixed rand amount for each person on your medical aid, and everyone on a scheme gets it whatever plan they are on. The second, the additional medical expenses tax credit, is for people whose medical costs got heavy, either through high contributions or money paid out of their own pocket. The calculator above works out both for your situation.
How much is the medical aid tax credit for 2026?
For the 2026 tax year, 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026, the medical scheme fees tax credit is R364 a month for you as the main member, another R364 for the first dependant, and R246 a month for each dependant after that. So a family of four, two adults and two children, gets R1,220 a month, which is R14,640 for the year. For the 2027 tax year the amounts rise to R376, R376 and R254. Pick your tax year in the calculator and it uses the right figures.
Do I still get the credit if my employer pays my medical aid?
Yes. The medical scheme fees tax credit is yours as long as you are the person liable for the scheme, even when your employer pays the contribution, because that contribution is added to your income as a taxable fringe benefit. If you are on a payroll, the credit is usually already built into the PAYE deducted each month, so you receive it as you go rather than as a lump sum at the end of the year. You do not claim it twice.
What is the additional medical expenses tax credit?
It is a second credit for medical costs that went beyond the ordinary. It looks at the part of your scheme contributions that was unusually high, plus the qualifying costs you paid yourself that the scheme did not cover, and gives some of that back. If you or a family member is 65 or older or has a disability recognised by SARS, you get back a third of those costs with no income hurdle. For everyone else, only the portion above 7.5% of your taxable income counts, and you get a quarter of that. You claim it when you file your return.
Why did I get little or no additional medical credit?
For people under 65 with no disability, SARS only counts medical costs above 7.5% of your taxable income, and only a quarter of what is left after that. On an income of R400,000 the hurdle is R30,000, so unless your excess contributions and out-of-pocket costs together pass that, this second credit is zero even though your bills felt real. This is by design, and it is why younger, healthier taxpayers often see nothing here while still getting the full scheme fees credit above. The rules are far kinder once you turn 65 or if there is a disability in the family.
Is the medical tax credit paid to me as a refund?
No, not on its own. A tax credit reduces the tax you owe, it does not get paid out to you if you owe no tax. If your income is low enough that the normal rebates already bring your tax to zero, a pensioner on a small income for example, the medical credit has nothing left to reduce and falls away. The calculator warns you when this happens. You can only ever get back tax you were actually going to pay, whether through lower monthly PAYE or a smaller assessment when you file.
This calculator gives estimates using the SARS medical tax credit and income tax tables for the 2026 and 2027 tax years, it is general information and not tax advice. It assumes you are a South African tax resident on a registered medical scheme, and it does not handle amounts paid on behalf of someone who is not your dependant, or medical costs inside a trust or company. Your income and family can change through the year, so treat the figures as a guide and confirm your own position with SARS or a tax practitioner. Last reviewed July 2026.