Argentina Year-End Bonus (SAC) Calculator
This calculator estimates your Argentine year-end bonus, known as the Sueldo Anual Complementario (SAC) or aguinaldo. The SAC equals 50% of the best monthly salary of the half-year and is paid in two installments: one in June and one in December. If you did not work the full half-year, the amount is prorated by the months worked. Enter your best gross salary of the half-year and the months worked to see the gross SAC and an approximate net figure.
The gross SAC is 50% of the best salary of the half-year. The net figure deducts around 17% in contributions; high salaries may also pay income tax (Ganancias). This is a rough estimate: consult an accountant for the exact figure.
Gross year-end bonus (SAC)
Approx. net SAC (−17%):
Pension (11%)
Health coverage (3%)
Law 19,032 / PAMI (3%)
Total deductions (17%)
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How it works
The Argentine year-end bonus is the Sueldo Anual Complementario (SAC) regulated by Law 23,041: it equals 50% of the highest monthly remuneration earned within the half-year, and is paid in two installments, one due June 30 and the other December 18. The half-year is not averaged: the highest-earning month is taken and divided by two. With a best remuneration of $1,000,000 and the full half-year worked, the gross SAC is $500,000. If you did not work all six months, implementing Decree 1078/84 requires proration: that 50% is multiplied by the days worked in the half-year and divided by 182 (or, in practice, by the months worked out of six). Someone who worked three months gets half, $250,000. Employee contributions (pension 11%, PAMI/law 19,032 3% and health insurance 3%), around 17%, are deducted from the gross, and on higher salaries income tax (Ganancias) is also withheld.
The SAC under Law 23,041, concept by concept
The Sueldo Anual Complementario is a non-waivable right that arises the moment you start working under an employment relationship. Law 23,041 and its implementing Decree 1078/84 set these parameters:
| Concept | Rule | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | 50% of the best remuneration | The highest monthly remuneration earned in the half-year, not the six-month average |
| Calculation base | The best month of the half-year | The highest-earning month is taken, with all remunerative items |
| Payment dates | June and December | First installment by June 30; second by December 18 |
| Proration | Days worked ÷ 182 | Prorated by the time worked in each half-year |
| Scope | Registered work | Private and public sector, from the first day of the employment relationship |
What counts as the "best remuneration" and the SAC when you leave
The key to the calculation is the best remuneration of the half-year, which is not the plain base salary: it includes every remunerative item earned that month —seniority, attendance bonus, collective-agreement add-ons, commissions and overtime, as long as they are habitual—. A month with a lot of overtime or a high commission can become the "best month" and raise the SAC for the whole half-year. Non-remunerative items are left out (unvouched travel allowances, certain fixed sums from agreements). If you resign or are dismissed mid half-year you do not lose the bonus: the SAC proportional to the days worked up to the termination is settled together with the severance and unused vacation in the final pay slip. In addition, the SAC is part of the income tax (Ganancias) base, so on high salaries the June or December installment may face an extra withholding.
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Preguntas frecuentes
- When are the two installments of the bonus paid?
- The SAC is paid in two installments: the first is due June 30 and the second December 18. Each one corresponds to the best salary of that half-year; the employer may pay them earlier, but not after those dates.
- What is the "best remuneration" of the half-year?
- It is the salary of the highest-earning month within the half-year, not the average of the six months. It is taken with all the remunerative items of that month (base, seniority, commissions, habitual overtime) and divided by two to get the SAC.
- Does overtime count toward the bonus?
- Yes, as long as it is habitual. Since the SAC is calculated on the best month, a month with a lot of overtime or a high commission can become the base and raise the bonus for the whole half-year. Non-remunerative items, by contrast, do not count.
- Does the bonus pay income tax (Ganancias)?
- Yes, the SAC is part of the tax base. On low and mid salaries there is usually no withholding, but on high salaries the June or December installment may face an extra Ganancias deduction, on top of the statutory contributions of around 17%.
- Do I get the bonus if I am dismissed mid half-year?
- Yes. You are entitled to the SAC proportional to the days worked up to the termination, whether you resign or are dismissed. It is settled in the final pay slip along with the severance and unused vacation.