Tax return calculator 2025-26

Enter your income, the tax withheld from your pay and your deductions to estimate your 2025-26 tax refund or the amount you owe. It applies the ATO tax rates, the Medicare levy, the Low Income Tax Offset and HELP repayments.

Your income and tax

Income year

Residency

Salary and wages (before tax)

Tax withheld

Other taxable income

Deductions

I have a HELP or HECS debtI had private hospital cover all year

Estimated tax refund

$492

$14,800 withheld minus $14,308 total tax for 2025-26

Taxable income	$73,500
Income tax (after LITO)	$12,838
Low Income Tax Offset (already taken off income tax)	$0
Medicare levy	$1,470
Medicare levy surcharge	$0
HELP repayment	$0
Total tax for the year	$14,308

How your refund is worked out

Taxable income: your salary and other income, minus deductions.
Income tax on that amount at the 2025-26 tax brackets, minus the Low Income Tax Offset if you qualify.
Plus the Medicare levy, any Medicare levy surcharge, and any HELP repayment.
Your refund is the tax withheld minus that total. A negative result is a tax bill.

Example: $75,000 salary, $1,500 of deductions and $14,800 withheld in 2025-26. Taxable income is $73,500. Income tax is $12,838 and the Medicare levy is $1,470, a total of $14,308. The estimated refund is $492.

Why you might owe tax

You claimed the tax-free threshold from two employers at the same time, so too little was withheld from both.
You earned income with no tax withheld, such as interest, side work or investments.
You have a HELP debt but your employer did not withhold for it. See the student loan calculator.
You had no private hospital cover and earned above the Medicare levy surcharge threshold.

What this estimate leaves out

Tax offsets other than the Low Income Tax Offset, including franking credits. Use the franking credits calculator for dividends.
Family thresholds for the Medicare levy and surcharge. Singles thresholds are used.
Reportable fringe benefits and reportable super contributions, which can change your HELP repayment and surcharge.
Capital gains. Use the capital gains calculator and add the net gain as other income.

Rates come from the ATO. How our calculators work. Maintained by James Crawford; last updated 21 October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is my tax refund worked out?

Your refund is the tax your employers withheld during the year minus the tax you actually owe on your taxable income. If more was withheld than you owe, you get the difference back. If less was withheld, you pay the difference.

Why do I owe tax instead of getting a refund?

The most common reasons are claiming the tax-free threshold from two employers at once, income with no tax withheld (interest, side work, investments), a HELP debt your employer did not withhold for, or the Medicare levy surcharge if you had no private hospital cover.

When is the 2025-26 tax return due?

If you lodge your own return, it is due by 31 October 2026. If you use a registered tax agent and are on their list before then, you usually have longer.

Is this estimate the same as the ATO assessment?

No. It uses the same rates, but the ATO assesses your return using everything you report, including offsets and adjustments this calculator does not model. Treat the result as an estimate to check before you lodge.

What can I claim as deductions?

Common deductions are work-related expenses you paid for and were not reimbursed for, work from home running costs, tax agent fees and gifts to registered charities. You need records for every claim. Enter the total in the deductions field.