1. I'm working for myself - freelance, contract, or project-based.
Use the Freelancer tab. It works for any arrangement where you set your own rate, including platform work and part-time contracts.
Know What You're
Actually Taking Home
Covers tax, EPF, ETF, and real market rates - whether you're job hunting, setting your rate, or hiring.
Calculator
Freelancer rate
What do you want to take home, and what does it cost to work?
Results
Your numbers
Numbers update each time you calculate. Tax tables reflect APIT 2025/26.
Fill in the form and hit Calculate.
Your results will appear here.
Before you dive in
Which tab should I use?
2. I have a job offer or I'm reviewing my current salary.
Use the Employee tab. Enter your gross salary and it will show you what actually lands in your account after tax and EPF.
3. I'm about to hire someone or post a vacancy.
Use the Employer tab. It shows the real monthly cost to the business, not just the salary you agree on.
What do I actually need to fill in?
1. I don't know my job category.
Pick the closest match. The category affects the market comparison only - it doesn't change your tax or EPF numbers.
2. I have a basic salary plus a separate monthly allowance.
Enter them in separate fields. Then decide whether that allowance is part of your official statutory base or paid informally as cash - the checkbox controls this.
3. I don't receive any benefits.
Leave the benefits section as-is. All benefits default to off, so they won't affect your take-home unless you turn them on.
4. I'm not sure how many billable hours I actually work. (Freelancer)
Be conservative. A realistic working day has 4-6 genuinely billable hours once you subtract admin, calls, and context switching. Start there and adjust.
What do the results actually mean?
1. Take-home / net pay.
The amount deposited into your account after APIT and your 8% EPF contribution are deducted.
2. Statutory base.
The portion of your pay that EPF, ETF, and APIT are calculated against. It may or may not include your allowances depending on how your employer structures them.
3. EPF and ETF.
EPF is deducted from your salary (8%) and matched by your employer (12%). ETF is an additional 3% paid entirely by the employer. Neither appears in your take-home, but both affect total employment cost.
4. Total value.
Your take-home cash plus the monetary value of any benefits you selected. Useful for comparing two offers where one has a lower salary but better perks.
5. Market comparison.
The median gross salary for your selected role and seniority level, sourced from local market data. Use it as a reference point, not a guarantee.
6. Your minimum rate / your floor. (Freelancer)
The hourly or deliverable rate at which you break even on your income goal after expenses, platform fees, and selected contribution assumptions. Anything below this means the job is not meeting your target.
How accurate is this?
1. Are these numbers guaranteed?
No. Results are estimates based on the current APIT tables and typical EPF/ETF rules. Your actual payslip may differ depending on your employer's payroll setup.
2. How current are the tax tables?
The calculator uses APIT rates for the 2025/26 tax year.
3. How current is the market data?
Market salary figures are updated periodically and reflect aggregated local survey data. They are indicative - treat them as a ballpark, not a benchmark.
4. Should I use this to make a final decision on an offer or a hire?
Use it to get oriented and to ask better questions. For anything that matters - a job offer, a payroll setup, a tax filing - check with a qualified accountant or HR professional.
Legal stuff
Privacy
Calculator inputs are used only to calculate and return your requested salary or tax result. ceylonsalary.lk records lightweight request metadata for fair-use protection, diagnostics, and reliability monitoring.
No account profiles, passwords, payment details, app-sent email content, or raw benchmark source rows are collected in public outputs.
Disclaimer
Results are estimates, not professional advice. For anything important - payroll, offers, tax filings - check with a qualified accountant or lawyer.
API fair use
The API is free for personal projects and internal tools within the limits below.
Calculation endpoints allow 20 requests per hour per IP. Metadata and docs endpoints allow 60 requests per hour per IP.