Tax refund estimator
Tax withheld minus tax on your taxable income, for 2025–26 or 2026–27, with HECS-HELP if you have a study loan.
Refund = tax withheld − tax on your taxable income. For example, with a 2025–26 taxable income of $80,000 and $17,500 withheld by employers, income tax and the Medicare levy come to $16,388, so the estimate is a refund of about $1,112. Use the total tax withheld from your income statement and your taxable income after deductions.
Estimated refund
$1,112
estimate only; the ATO works out the actual amount
- Income tax (after low income tax offset)
- $14,788
- Medicare levy
- $1,600
- HECS-HELP repayment
- $0
- Total
- $16,388
If withheld is larger, the difference is the estimated refund.
Show the numbers as a table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Tax withheld by employers | $17,500 |
| Tax on your taxable income | $16,388 |
- Income tax and Medicare levy: $16,388 (100%)
- HECS-HELP repayment: $0 (0%)
Show the numbers as a table
| Part | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax and Medicare levy | $16,388 | 100% |
| HECS-HELP repayment | $0 | 0% |
What this estimate leaves out
- The Medicare levy surcharge, other tax offsets, private health insurance rebate adjustments, and income other than what you include in taxable income.
- For HECS-HELP, repayment income can be higher than taxable income (it adds items such as reportable fringe benefits); this estimate uses taxable income.
- Residents only. The low-income Medicare levy thresholds for 2026–27 haven't been published, so 2025–26 thresholds are used for both years.
Related calculators
Take-home pay calculatorIncome tax, low income tax offset and Medicare levy at resident rates.Hourly to annual salary converterHourly rate to yearly, monthly, fortnightly and weekly pay (or back), with take-home pay at 2026–27 rates.Pay rise calculatorHow much of a pay rise you keep after tax, per year, month and fortnight, at 2026–27 rates.
Terms on this page
- ATO · Australian Taxation Office
- The Australian Government agency that runs the tax and super systems.
- AUD · Australian dollars
- All amounts on this site are in Australian dollars unless stated.
- HECS-HELP · Higher Education Contribution Scheme – Higher Education Loan Program
- The government loan for university fees. Repayments are taken through the tax system once income passes a threshold.