Estimate your Australian tax refund or tax payable for the current financial year. Includes deductions, capital gains, Medicare levy, and surcharge.
Note: The Medicare Levy (2%) is typically paid when lodging your tax return, not withheld from regular pay.
A tax return reconciles the tax that was withheld from your pay during the year against the tax you actually owe once your deductions, offsets, and any extra income are taken into account. If more was withheld than you owe, you get a refund. If less was withheld, you have a bill. This calculator estimates that difference for the Australian financial year (1 July to 30 June) using current Australian Taxation Office (ATO) rates.
To use it, enter your total annual income, then optionally add your actual tax withheld (from your final payslip or income statement in myGov), any personal super contributions, extra income, capital gains, and deductions. The more accurate your inputs, the closer the estimate.
These are the resident income tax rates the calculator applies for the 2025-26 and 2024-25 financial years (they are unchanged between the two):
| Taxable income | Tax on this income |
|---|---|
| $0 – $18,200 | Nil (tax-free threshold) |
| $18,201 – $45,000 | 16c per $1 over $18,200 |
| $45,001 – $135,000 | $4,288 + 30c per $1 over $45,000 |
| $135,001 – $190,000 | $31,288 + 37c per $1 over $135,000 |
| $190,001+ | $51,638 + 45c per $1 over $190,000 |
On top of income tax, most residents also pay the 2% Medicare Levy. From 1 July 2026 (the 2026-27 year), the $18,201–$45,000 rate is legislated to drop from 16% to 15%.
Suppose you earned $80,000 in 2025-26 with no extra income and claimed no deductions:
If your employer withheld roughly $14,788 in income tax across the year (the income-tax portion only), you'd have a small bill of about $1,600 — the Medicare Levy, which usually isn't taken out of your regular pay. Claiming even modest work-related deductions would reduce the taxable income and shrink that bill or turn it into a refund.
Deductions reduce your taxable income, so every legitimate dollar claimed saves tax at your marginal rate. The most commonly claimed include:
You must have paid for the expense yourself, not been reimbursed, and have a record to back it up. See our guide to calculating your Australian tax for a fuller walkthrough. From 2026-27, a new $1,000 instant tax deduction will also let you claim $1,000 of work expenses without receipts.
The deadline to lodge your own return is 31 October after the end of the financial year. Pre-fill data from employers and banks is generally ready in myGov from late July, so waiting until then makes lodging faster and more accurate. Lodging through a registered tax agent can give you a later due date.
Want to plan ahead instead? Use our salary calculator to see your take-home pay after tax, super and HECS, or read about salary sacrifice to legally lower your taxable income before year-end.
For the 2025-26 and 2024-25 financial years, the tax rates are:
For 2023-24:
The Medicare Levy is a 2% tax on your taxable income that helps fund Australia's public health system. Most taxpayers pay it, but exemptions and reductions apply for low-income earners and certain categories.
The Medicare Levy is typically paid when lodging your tax return, not withheld from regular pay. This is why you might see a tax payable amount equal to the Medicare Levy in your result.
The Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) is an additional tax for high-income earners without private hospital cover. The 2025-26 rates are:
The surcharge applies to your total income, including all income sources.
Deductions reduce your taxable income. Common deductions include:
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) applies when you sell an asset for more than you paid. The gain is added to your taxable income and taxed at your marginal rate. Key concessions include:
Capital losses can only offset capital gains, not other income. Excess losses carry forward to future years.
Interest on loans used to buy income-producing investments (like shares or rental properties) is generally tax-deductible. This is the basis of negative gearing. Non-deductible debt includes personal loans and home loans for your primary residence.
When you claim deductible interest, it reduces your taxable income and can increase your refund. Keep records showing how borrowed money was used, as the ATO may require proof.
Your employer withholds tax from each pay based on an estimate of your annual income. At tax time, the ATO works out your actual tax bill after applying your deductions and any offsets. If the total tax withheld over the year is more than that actual bill, the difference is refunded to you.
If too little was withheld — common if you had multiple jobs, untaxed income, or a HECS-HELP debt — you'll have a tax bill instead. Claiming all your eligible deductions is the main lever that increases a refund.
The Australian financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June. If you lodge your own return, the deadline is 31 October following the end of the financial year. You can lodge online through myGov/myTax, and pre-fill data from employers and banks is usually available from late July.
If you use a registered tax agent, you can generally get a later due date — but you need to be on the agent's client list before 31 October to qualify.
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