How this is calculated
Annual gross = monthly salary × 12. Chargeable income = annual gross − RM9,000 individual relief − EPF employee contributions (capped at RM4,000) − SOCSO and EIS (capped at RM350). Tax is then charged on that chargeable income through the YA2025 resident bands, each slice at its own rate. If chargeable income is RM35,000 or below, an RM400 rebate is applied. Monthly PCB is the annual tax divided by twelve.
Worked example on RM6,000 a month: annual gross RM72,000. EPF at 11% is RM7,920 a year, capped at RM4,000 for relief. SOCSO and EIS come to RM420, capped at RM350. Chargeable income is 72,000 − 9,000 − 4,000 − 350 = RM58,650.
That chargeable income is then sliced. The first RM5,000 is taxed at 0%. The next RM15,000 at 1%. The next RM15,000 at 3%. The next RM15,000 at 6%. The remaining RM8,650 at 11%. Malaysia is a progressive system, so no single rate applies to your whole income — the rate you hear quoted is only the rate on your last ringgit.
Why is my actual payslip different?
LHDN's official computerised calculation method takes inputs this page does not: marital status, whether your spouse works, the number of children and their education status, zakat paid, and the cumulative tax already deducted in prior months of the year. It also handles additional remuneration such as bonuses under a separate formula.
The direction of the error is predictable. If you have a non-working spouse or children, your real PCB is lower than this estimate, because those reliefs are worth thousands of ringgit. If you have significant non-salary income, it is higher. For a single filer with no dependants, the estimate should land close.
At what salary do you start paying tax in Malaysia?
Between the RM9,000 individual relief, EPF relief and the RM400 rebate on chargeable income up to RM35,000, a single person earning roughly RM3,100 a month or less typically pays no income tax at all. Many people at that level still see nothing deducted and assume they do not need to file — they usually still do, if their annual income crosses the registration threshold.
The rebate is a cliff, not a taper. It is worth RM400 at RM35,000 of chargeable income and nothing at RM35,001, so a small raise near that line can cost more in tax than it adds in salary. It is the one place in the Malaysian schedule where that happens.
Reliefs this estimate does not include
Malaysia has a long list of reliefs that reduce chargeable income beyond the three used here: lifestyle expenses covering books, computers, sports equipment and internet subscriptions; medical expenses for yourself, parents and serious illness; education fees; SSPN savings for children; life and medical insurance premiums; and childcare fees for children under six.
Every ringgit of relief you claim reduces chargeable income, and the tax you save is that ringgit multiplied by your top marginal rate. At the 19% band, a RM2,500 lifestyle relief is worth RM475. Claiming them happens when you file, not through PCB, which is why many people receive a refund even though PCB is meant to approximate the final bill.
How to use the pcb income tax calculator (malaysia)
- Enter your monthly gross salary. Use gross pay before any deductions — the figure at the top of the payslip, not the amount you receive.
- Read the monthly PCB row. That is the estimated tax your employer withholds each month. The annual row is the full-year liability it prepays.
- Compare the effective rate. The effective rate is tax divided by gross income — always lower than the bracket rate, because only your top slice is taxed at the top rate.
- Adjust for your own reliefs. If you have a spouse, children or claimable expenses, your real liability will be lower than shown. File with the full relief list to recover the difference.