Here's that example by hand. SSNIT is 5.5% of 6,000, which is 330. That leaves 5,670 to tax. The first 588 is free, the next 80 costs 4.00, the next 100 costs 10.00, the next 2,900 costs 507.50, and the last 2,002 at 25% costs 500.50. PAYE comes to 1,022.00, so you take home 4,648.00. Your employer pays another 13%, or GHS 780, on top of your pay.
What do people take home in Ghana at different salaries?
These are the calculator's answers for a resident employee with all pay as basic salary, no relief and no provident fund. They follow the bands in force from 1 September 2026.
- Gross GHS 1,500: SSNIT 82.50, PAYE 127.66, take-home 1,289.84
- Gross GHS 3,000: SSNIT 165.00, PAYE 375.73, take-home 2,459.27
- Gross GHS 5,000: SSNIT 275.00, PAYE 785.75, take-home 3,939.25
- Gross GHS 10,000: SSNIT 550.00, PAYE 1,967.00, take-home 7,483.00
- Gross GHS 20,000: SSNIT 1,100.00, PAYE 4,329.50, take-home 14,570.50
- Gross GHS 80,000: SSNIT 3,795.00, PAYE 22,792.85, take-home 53,412.15
Why does my payslip differ from the calculator?
The usual reason is allowances. SSNIT is charged on basic salary only, while PAYE is charged on basic and cash allowances together. Take GHS 6,000 made up of 5,000 basic and a 1,000 allowance. SSNIT falls to 275, PAYE is 1,035.75, and you take home GHS 4,689.25. That's GHS 41.25 more than the same 6,000 paid all as basic, but your pension contributions are lower too.
Other reasons are a provident fund, a benefit in kind such as a company car, a bonus, or a relief you applied for. Marriage relief of GHS 1,200 a year is GHS 100 a month. On the example above it lowers PAYE to 1,010.75 and lifts take-home to GHS 4,714.25.
Which tax table is the right one?
Use the one on GRA's PAYE page, which starts with GHS 588 tax free. Many websites still show the older table that starts with GHS 490. Act 1178 replaced it from 1 September 2026, so a calculator built on GHS 490 is out of date.
By our own sum on GRA's two tables, the change cuts tax by as much as GHS 11.15 a month on chargeable income up to GHS 3,668. It adds GHS 6.00 a month at GHS 4,000 to GHS 10,000, and GHS 17.43 a month at GHS 20,000 to GHS 50,000. The full table is in our PAYE guide.
Who is this calculator not for?
Non-resident employees are generally taxed at a flat 25%. Casual workers have 5% deducted from the amount paid. If you run a business or have a second job, GRA adds your income together at the end of the year. This calculator covers none of those.
Questions people ask
Is PAYE charged before or after SSNIT?
After. GRA takes SSNIT and any provident fund contribution off your pay first, then applies the bands to what's left.
How much tax do I pay on GHS 3,000 a month in Ghana?
If all GHS 3,000 is basic salary, SSNIT is 165.00 and PAYE is 375.73, so you take home GHS 2,459.27.
What is the maximum SSNIT deduction in 2026?
SSNIT's maximum insurable earning is GHS 69,000 a month from 1 January 2026. The worker's 5.5% of that is GHS 3,795 by our sum.
Is pay at the minimum wage taxed?
At GHS 587.80 a month you pay GHS 32.33 SSNIT, and the GHS 555.47 left is under the GHS 588 band, so PAYE is nil.
Is this the official GRA calculator?
No. workghana.net isn't part of GRA. This is our estimate from GRA's published bands. Your employer's payroll and GRA have the final word.
Sources
Checked 2 November 2026.