Salaries, Taxes and Take-Home Pay — 2026-09-25
The week ahead of October payrolls is dominated by imminent minimum wage step-ups in Ontario (Oct 1) and Japan (Oct, national average ¥1,177), while Taiwan's wage review committee meets to decide whether its monthly floor will top NT$30,000. In Germany, a DIW calculation of the Left party's income-tax plan sparked debate over which earners would pay more, and Japanese part-timers face the removal of the ¥1.06 million social insurance threshold in October.
Salaries, Taxes and Take-Home Pay — 2026-09-25
Top developments
Ontario minimum wage rises to $17.95 on October 1
Ontario's general minimum wage increases to $17.95 per hour effective Thursday, October 1, 2026, up from the current $17.60 — a 35-cent bump that will land directly in the pay packets of the province's lowest earners. Employment law firm Hicks Morley issued a reminder to employers on September 22 to prepare payroll and posting obligations before the change takes effect. Because the increase is tied to CPI, it is framed as an inflation catch-up rather than a real-terms raise.
Taiwanese-language and francophone coverage of the same story appeared in local outlets including TCF FCA, which summarized the new rates and which worker groups qualify.
Taiwan committee to decide whether minimum wage tops NT$30,000
Taiwan's Minimum Wage Review Committee met on September 24 to decide next year's rate, with Labor Minister Hung Sun-han signaling the monthly floor could rise above NT$30,000 (about US$946) and the hourly rate above NT$200. The committee — which includes labor, employer, academic and government representatives — weighs consumer prices and economic data before setting the floor. A decision topping NT$30,000 would be a symbolic and practical milestone for Taiwan's lower-paid workers.
Japan: minimum wage up to ¥1,177 average from October, ¥1.06M wall abolished
Japanese media report that the revised minimum wage takes effect sequentially from October, lifting the national weighted average to ¥1,177 — up ¥56, worth roughly ¥116,480 a year on a 2,080-hour work year. Simultaneously, the "¥1.06 million wall" (the annual income threshold for mandatory social insurance for part-timers) is abolished in October 2026, reshaping part-timer take-home pay calculations. LIMO's analysis via Yahoo! News examined how much part-time take-home pay changes under the combined effect.
Germany: minimum wage of €15.33 for certain sectors took effect September 2026
Finanz.de reported that since September, specific groups of employees in Germany (sectoral bindings) are entitled to €15.33 per hour under the general €13.90 floor's sector rules — with the next increase already scheduled for 2027. Workplaces governed by these sectoral minimums see immediate gross-wage gains this month.
Germany: DIW calculates who pays more under the Left's tax plan
A DIW calculation commissioned by IPPEN.MEDIA, published September 24/25, shows the trade-off in the Left party's plan to restructure German income tax: singles would pay €816 more above a certain salary, while some lower- and middle-income earners would gain €15,867 in relief at another point on the scale. The analysis frames which gross salary levels would see net pay fall if the proposal advanced.
Local view
Japan: same-pay rules tightening from October
日本人材ニュースONLINE (Japan HR News Online) reports that the October 2026 revision of "same work, same pay" rules will change employment rules for part-time and fixed-term workers, five years after full application. Outlets are framing it alongside the minimum wage hike and the removal of the ¥1.06M wall as a three-part October shock to company payrolls.
Japan lifestyle media roundup of October money changes
TRILL published a roundup (September 19) of six money-and-living changes from October 2026, leading with the minimum wage increase.
Context & numbers
- Japan's national weighted-average minimum wage rises ¥56 to ¥1,177, with 33 prefectures exceeding the central government's guidance; an annualized gain of about ¥116,480 on full-time hours.
- Ontario's general minimum wage: $17.60 → $17.95 per hour on October 1, 2026.
- Taiwan's potential new floor: above NT$30,000 monthly (~US$946) and NT$200 hourly.
- Germany's current general minimum wage of €13.90 gross yields a lower net depending on tax class; sectoral rates of €15.33 now apply in covered industries.
On the radar
- October 1, 2026: Ontario's $17.95 rate takes effect; Japanese prefectures begin publishing new minimum wage rates.
- Taiwan: Watch for the committee's final decision and gazette on the next minimum wage.
- Germany: Next minimum wage increase already fixed for 2027.
- US: Florida's minimum wage is due to reach $15 on September 30, 2026, per ADP's 2026 wage guide — worth confirming in the next cycle.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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