This calculator estimates employee take-home pay in Nigeria using official tax bands, statutory rates, and deduction caps for tax year 2026. Enter your gross salary to see estimated PAYE income tax, employee fund contributions, and net take-home pay.
How to use this estimate
Use this calculation for personal budget planning, offer comparison, or sense-checking your monthly payslip.
Enter regular gross base salary. Discretionary bonuses, overtime, taxable allowances, or age-specific tax rebates may adjust your actual payroll slip.
Required Inputs
- Gross salary in NGN (₦)
- Frequency selector — Monthly or Annual
Example Salary Breakdown
On a gross salary of ₦500,000/month (₦6,000,000/year):
- Gross Salary
- ₦500,000/mo₦6,000,000/yr
- PAYE Income Tax
- ₦65,300/mo₦783,600/yr
- Pension (PenCom, employee)
- ₦40,000/mo₦480,000/yr
- Effective Tax Rate
- 21.1%
Employer pays
Total fund contribution
How salary deductions work in Nigeria
Nigeria overhauled its personal income tax system with the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, which took effect on 1 January 2026 and replaced the older Personal Income Tax Act bands and the Consolidated Relief Allowance (CRA). Under the new law, the first ₦800,000 of annual chargeable income is tax-free, with five further bands rising to a top marginal rate of 25% on income above ₦50 million a year.
Separately from the tax bands, anyone earning the National Minimum Wage — currently ₦70,000 a month — or less pays no PAYE at all, by explicit statutory exemption. This matters because ₦70,000 a month works out to ₦840,000 a year, slightly above the ₦800,000 zero-rate band ceiling; without the exemption, minimum-wage earners would owe a small amount of tax on that difference. This calculator applies the exemption directly.
Employees also contribute to a mandatory pension scheme regulated by the National Pension Commission (PenCom), at a minimum of 8% of their monthly emoluments, matched by a 10% employer contribution. The law defines the pension contribution base as at least Basic salary, Housing allowance, and Transport allowance combined — this calculator approximates that base using full gross salary, since it does not collect a detailed salary structure breakdown. Pension contributions are deducted before PAYE is calculated, reducing taxable income as well as take-home pay.
What is included
- Nigeria Tax Act 2025 PAYE bands, effective 1 January 2026
- The statutory full PAYE exemption for National Minimum Wage earners
- PenCom employee pension contribution (8%, deducted before tax), shown alongside the employer's minimum 10% contribution
- Monthly and annual net pay breakdown
What is excluded
- —Rent relief (20% of annual rent paid, capped at ₦500,000) is not modelled — it requires rent details this calculator does not collect, so results may overstate tax for employees who pay rent
- —Pension is approximated on full gross salary rather than the Basic + Housing + Transport base defined in the Pension Reform Act, since this calculator does not collect a salary-structure breakdown
- —Other eligible deductions (National Housing Fund, NHIS, life insurance premiums, home-loan interest) are not modelled
- —Mandatory pension participation may not apply to employees at organisations with fewer than 3 staff, where contribution is voluntary
Frequently Asked Questions
Disclaimer: Figures provided are estimates for personal planning and informational guidance. They do not replace certified payroll or tax advisory services. Last updated: 2026-07-18.