Tanzania WCF (Workers Compensation) Calculator

What is the Workers Compensation Fund?

The Workers Compensation Fund (WCF) is a statutory employer-funded insurance scheme established under the Workers Compensation Act, Cap. 263. It pays compensation for work-related injuries, occupational diseases, disability and death — protecting both the employee and the employer (who would otherwise face uninsured liability).

WCF rate and base

The current WCF rate is 0.5% of employees' gross earnings for both private and public-sector employers in Mainland Tanzania (Tanzania Bara). WCF defines gross earnings as basic salary plus the allowances paid with the monthly salary that do not vary, so in practice fixed housing or transport allowances are in and overtime is not. There is no salary ceiling, and the contribution must not be deducted from employees' wages.

Contributions are monthly: each month's contribution is due within that month or the following month (for example, July contributions by 31 August), paid through the WCF portal with a control number. Paying for three, six or twelve months at a time needs approval from the Fund's Director General. Late payment attracts interest of 2% of the late amount (s.75(2) of the Act and the 2016 regulations as amended in 2021).

Who must register?

• Every Mainland employer, public or private, from the first employee. Register with the Fund within 30 days of hiring your first employee.
• WCF has no headcount threshold, unlike SDL.
• The Fund covers Mainland employers; if you employ staff in Zanzibar, check the arrangements that apply there.

WCF benefits at a glance

• Temporary disability — periodic payments while incapacitated.
• Permanent disability — lump sum based on degree of disability.
• Death benefits — funeral grant and pension to dependents.
• Medical expenses — full cost of treatment for work-related injury.

How to calculate WCF in Tanzania

1. For each employee, take the basic salary plus the fixed allowances paid with the monthly salary, such as a fixed housing or transport allowance.
2. Leave out overtime and any other pay that changes from month to month.
3. Add the figures for all employees to get the month's WCF base.
4. Multiply by 0.5%. The result is the employer's contribution for that month.

Worked example: WCF for three employees

The employer pays TZS 16,500 for the month, or TZS 198,000 over a year at the same payroll. None of it comes out of the employees' pay. Because each month's contribution is due within that month or the next, October's contribution must be paid by 30 November at the latest. Type the total base into the calculator above to get the same result for your own payroll.

The same 0.5% at other payroll sizes:

If a contribution is paid late, WCF charges interest of 2% of the late amount: TZS 1,270 on a TZS 63,500 contribution. The Fund's page does not say whether that 2% is charged once or for each month of delay, so ask the Fund if you are in arrears, and pay on time to avoid the question.

WCF kwa Kiswahili: mchango wa mwajiri

WCF (Mfuko wa Fidia kwa Wafanyakazi) inatozwa 0.5% ya mshahara ghafi wa wafanyakazi, yaani mshahara wa msingi pamoja na posho zisizobadilika zinazolipwa pamoja na mshahara wa mwezi. Mchango huu ni gharama ya mwajiri peke yake na haukatwi kwenye mshahara wa mfanyakazi. Ukiona WCF imekatwa kwenye payslip yako, hilo ni kosa. Mwajiri analipa kila mwezi, ndani ya mwezi husika au mwezi unaofuata.

WCF, SDL, NSSF and PAYE side by side

• WCF: 0.5%, paid by the employer only, by every Mainland employer from the first employee; due within the month or the next.
• SDL: 3.5% of gross emoluments, paid by the employer only, once the employer has 10 or more employees; due by the 7th of the following month.
• NSSF: the employee's 10% is deducted from gross salary before PAYE is worked out.
• PAYE: the employee's income tax, deducted from salary and due by the 7th of the following month.

Pair WCF with PAYE, NSSF, NHIF and SDL to see your full statutory cost — or use the Full Payroll Calculator in one go. Tawala automates all five on every payroll run. Full guide: SDL and WCF Rates in Tanzania.

Sources: Workers Compensation Fund, Contributions (wcf.go.tz/pages/contribution): 0.5% rate, base, monthly due date, 2% late interest, registration within 30 days, Mainland coverage. Checked 24 October 2026.

Take this further

WCF sits alongside NSSF, NHIF and SDL as an employer-side cost. Tawala HR & Payroll rolls all four into the true cost of employment per person, which is the number you actually need when you are quoting labour or setting a billing rate.

Not sure which module fits? Compare every option under Tawala solutions, or find the setup for your sector under Tawala by industry.