Provident Fund payout

You should receive your provident fund payout within 21 days if your tax affairs are in order and all the required documents (such as a copy of your ID, a completed instruction form stating where the money should go, and proof of banking details) have been sent to the fund by your employer.

Waiting period for provident fund

It does seem like a very long time to wait for your provident fund. Normally it should not take more than 4 to 8 weeks, if your tax affairs are in order, but if you belong to a bargaining council fund, there is usually a compulsory waiting period which can be up to six months long.

Provident fund payout calculated in South Africa


Contribution made by the employee equals 12% of his/her Basic Pay plus Dearness Allowance (DA). When the Basic Pay + DA is less than or equal to Rs 15000, the employee contribution is 12% of Basic Pay + DA, whereas the employer contribution is 3.67% of the Basic Pay + DA.

Does provident fund pay out when you resign?

If you resign, or you are retrenched, you are allowed to withdraw from your employer-sponsored retirement fund (that is a pension or provident fund). The “benefit” you can claim is the balance in your retirement account.

How to get my provident fund money

You need to contact the HR department of each of your former employers and a) find out where your money is; 2) request a withdrawal form if the money is still in the employer’s retirement fund;

How to check my provident fund balance in South Africa

Give a missed call to 011-22901406 from your registered mobile number. You’ll receive an SMS containing your EPF balance.

SARS does not use your retirement fund lump sum to deduct tax that you owe in respect of income – this is not permitted by the Pension Funds Act. But SARS does require you to submit outstanding returns and pay amounts that are long overdue before issuing your tax clearance certificate.

Tax to pay on my provident fund payout South Africa

The tax is calculated as follows: 18% of the amount by which the R45 000 is more than R25 000 = 18% of (R45 000 – R25 000) = 18% of R20 000 = R3 600 • The first R25 000 of the R45 000 is tax free while R3 600 tax is payable. On 31 January 2019, Mr T retires from the DEF Provident Fund.

How much does SARS deduct on provident fund?

It doesn’t matter whether you have a pension, provident or retirement annuity (RA) fund – or even a combination of all three – you’ll qualify for a tax deduction of up to 27.5% of your taxable income (up to a maximum of R350 000 per year).

Period that an employer has to pay you after being fired in South Africa

The Basic Conditions of employment Act, 75 of 1997, section 32 requires employers to pay remuneration to employees within 7 days of termination of the employment contract.