ZA Retirement Withdrawal Optimizer
Tax-efficient drawdown across TFSA · RA · Two-Pot · Living Annuity · CGT · Cash
SARS 2026/2027 Active

1Personal Details

I am currently retired
Annual Post-Tax: R 600,000
Rental, salary, pension, etc.
Optional — unlocks the RA contribution tax deduction (27.5% of salary, capped at R430k/yr). Leave at 0 to skip.
Only used for fixed SARS tax credits. Actual plan cost must be included in your Net Living Expenses.
Allowed range: 2.5% – 17.5%
Which bucket fills your annual tax-free allowance. Maximise ending wealth draws the Two-Pot Savings Pot first, leaving faster-compounding retirement capital invested — usually more money at age 90, though it pays more tax in the early years. Minimise tax shelters the compulsory living-annuity draw instead, which lowers each year's tax bill but spends retirement capital sooner. Neither is universally better — save one scenario of each below to compare them on your own numbers.

Product Accessibility

2Investment Products

Tax Free
Year account was opened
Max R3,833/mo (SARS R46k/yr limit)
Emergency override only — breaks the 20-year tax-free compounding strategy.
CGT
Original purchase price
Income Tax
1/3 of contributions post-Sep 2024. Min withdrawal R2,000
Auto-calculated (1/3 of RA contribution)
Income Tax
2/3 allocated to Retirement Pot, 1/3 to Savings Pot
Low Tax
CGT / Income

Save & Compare Scenarios

Save up to 3 named snapshots of your current inputs (e.g. "Retire at 55" vs "Retire at 60") to compare them side by side, under today's growth assumptions. Your current inputs are also auto-saved and restored on reload, separately from these named scenarios.

Total Portfolio
R 0
All assets
Annual Tax
R 0
Effective: 0.0%
Net Take-Home
R 0
Monthly: R 0
Tax Saved vs Unoptimized
R 0
vs all from RA/income
Portfolio Runway
At current drawdown

2Optimal Drawdown Waterfall

Annual source breakdown — most tax-efficient order:

Strategy: TFSA withdrawals are deferred until the account reaches 20 years old to maximize tax-free compound growth.
SourceAmount DrawnTaxNet
0% Tax0%45% Ceiling

Tax Breakdown by Source

Drawdown: Net vs Tax Paid

Growth & Inflation Assumptions

10%
8%
5%
15%

The engine always calculates in nominal rands. This only changes how the chart, table, and stats below are displayed - it does not change the underlying maths.
5%
How much SARS brackets, rebates, and thresholds rise each year (0% = frozen at today's 2026/27 table, a pessimistic stress test). TFSA limits are never indexed - SARS raises those irregularly, not annually.
Portfolio Depletes
At current settings
Portfolio at Age 65
Nominal (future) rands
Total Lifetime Tax
To age 90, nominal

Portfolio Trajectory to Age 90

Annual Tax Paid Over Time

Year-by-Year Withdrawal Breakdown

Age Cash Draw TFSA Draw Disc Draw SavPot Draw RA/LA Draw Crypto Draw Tax Paid Net Cash Portfolio Balance

SARS 2026/2027 Tax Brackets


Your Tax Position

Key Exemptions & Thresholds


Optimized vs Unoptimized

Two-Pot System Reference (effective Sep 2024)

Savings Pot (1/3 of contributions)
• Accessible anytime post-Sep 2024
• Minimum withdrawal: R2,000
• Taxed as normal income (SARS)
• One withdrawal per tax year
• R300 admin fee applies
• Cannot exceed savings pot balance
Retirement Pot (2/3 of contributions)
• Locked until retirement (age 55+)
• Must purchase an annuity
• Under R165k: cash lump sum
• Converts to Living/Guaranteed Annuity
• Cannot access before retirement
• No early withdrawal option
Vested Component (pre-Sep 2024)
• Pre-September 2024 savings
• Old rules still apply
• 1/3 as cash lump sum at retirement
• First R550,000 completely tax-free
• Next R220k: 18% tax rate
• Balance must be annuitized