Business tax

Payroll Tax Calculator SA

Work out your South Australia payroll tax for 2026. The SA threshold is $1.5 million and the rate is 4.95%. Enter your total annual Australian taxable wages for the tax payable. Free, no signup.

South Australia ratesVerified at revenuesa.sa.gov.au, July 2026$1.5 million threshold

Your payroll

State or territory

Total annual Australian taxable wages

Whole group, all states. Include gross wages, super and taxable fringe benefits.

Payroll tax is a tax on employers, not employees. It applies once your total Australian wages pass the state threshold. Working out what lands in a worker's account instead? Use the take-home pay calculator.

Payroll tax in SA

$1,500,000 is at or below the South Australia threshold of $1,500,000, so no payroll tax is payable.

Under the SA threshold

Total Australian taxable wages$1,500,000

Tax-free thresholdSouth Australia annual$1,500,000

Payroll tax rate4.95%

Payroll tax payableAt or below threshold$0

Effective rate0.00%

How this is worked out. No tax up to $1.5 million. Above that, a $600,000 deduction is subtracted from wages before the rate applies. Between $1.5 million and $1.7 million the rate rises from 0% to 4.95%; above $1.7 million the full 4.95% applies to wages after the deduction. For the official figure, use the South Australia payroll tax calculator.

Uses your total group Australian taxable wages, treated as a single state for simplicity. Grouping and interstate wages split the threshold between states. Rates verified at revenuesa.sa.gov.au, July 2026. General information, not financial advice. Confirm with the revenue office before you lodge.

Simon Chadwick

Founder, Orbit Money

Method: SA payroll tax threshold and rate from revenuesa.sa.gov.auUpdated: 17 July 2026Sources: revenuesa.sa.gov.au

How payroll tax works in South Australia

Payroll tax is a state tax on employers. In South Australia (SA) you pay it on your total Australian taxable wages once they pass the annual threshold of $1.5 million, charged at 4.95%. South Australia levies no tax up to $1.5 million, then phases the rate up to 4.95% between $1.5 million and $1.7 million, applying it to wages after a $600,000 deduction. It is not deducted from your workers, and it is separate from PAYG withholding. The wages that count include gross salaries, superannuation, allowances, bonuses, commissions, directors' fees and most taxable fringe benefits. Enter your own wages in the calculator above for the figure that matches your business.

SA payroll tax threshold and rate 2026

These are the headline figures for South Australia. The calculator above applies them, plus any taper, for you.

South Australia	Figure
Annual tax-free threshold	$1.5 million
Payroll tax rate	4.95%
Tax on $1,500,000 of wages	Nil (under threshold)
Tax on $2,000,000 of wages	$69,300

No tax up to $1.5 million. Above that, a $600,000 deduction is subtracted from wages before the rate applies. Between $1.5 million and $1.7 million the rate rises from 0% to 4.95%; above $1.7 million the full 4.95% applies to wages after the deduction.

Grouping and interstate wages

Two things catch SA employers out. First, grouping: businesses that share owners, directors or employees are grouped and must add their wages together under a single South Australia threshold. Second, interstate wages: if you pay staff in more than one state, South Australia gives you only a share of its $1.5 million threshold, based on the proportion of your wages paid here. This calculator treats your wages as South Australia alone, which is the right starting point for a single-state business. If you employ across borders or are grouped, use the South Australia revenue office calculator or your accountant.

Frequently asked questions

What is the payroll tax threshold in SA?

The South Australia payroll tax threshold is $1.5 million of total Australian taxable wages a year. Pay less than that across your whole business or group and you generally owe no SA payroll tax, though you may still need to register. South Australia levies no tax up to $1.5 million, then phases the rate up to 4.95% between $1.5 million and $1.7 million, applying it to wages after a $600,000 deduction.

What is the payroll tax rate in SA?

The South Australia payroll tax rate is 4.95%. No tax up to $1.5 million. Above that, a $600,000 deduction is subtracted from wages before the rate applies. Between $1.5 million and $1.7 million the rate rises from 0% to 4.95%; above $1.7 million the full 4.95% applies to wages after the deduction. On $2 million of total Australian wages, a SA employer pays about $69,300. Enter your own wages in the calculator above for the exact figure.

How much is payroll tax in SA?

In South Australia you pay no payroll tax on $1,500,000 of wages, since that is at or below the threshold for 2026. Payroll tax applies only once your total Australian taxable wages pass the $1.5 million threshold, and it is charged at 4.95%. The calculator above works out your exact SA payroll tax from your wages.

Who has to pay payroll tax in SA?

Employers pay SA payroll tax, not employees. You become liable once your total Australian taxable wages pass the South Australia threshold of $1.5 million. Wages counted include gross salaries, superannuation, allowances, bonuses, commissions, directors' fees and taxable fringe benefits. Grouped businesses add their wages together and share one threshold.

Employing in another state? Use the all-states payroll tax calculator to compare payroll tax across NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, the NT and the ACT.

Related tools

Payroll Tax Calculator NSW

$1.2 million threshold, 5.45% rate for New South Wales.

Payroll Tax Calculator VIC

$1 million threshold, 4.85% (regional 1.2125%) rate for Victoria.

Payroll Tax Calculator QLD

$1.3 million threshold, 4.75% / 4.95% rate for Queensland.

Payroll Tax Calculator WA

$1 million threshold, 5.5% rate for Western Australia.

Payroll Tax Calculator (all states)

Compare payroll tax across every Australian state and territory.

Take-Home Pay Calculator (AU)

The employee side: what lands in a worker's account after tax.

Other states

NSW VIC QLD WA TAS NT ACT

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About the author

Simon Chadwick

Founder of Orbit Money

Simon is the founder of Orbit Money, a tool that helps people and businesses track subscriptions and recurring spend. He builds Orbit's free money calculators and writes about tax and personal finance for Australian and UK readers.