Use this at tax time. Enter your taxable income and the tax already withheld to estimate your refund or the amount you owe. Switch to 2025–26 for the return you lodge this year.
Rates checked against ATO and official sources on 26 September 2026. How we calculate
Results update as you type.
Estimated refund$380Total tax $16,120 on $80,000
$0 – $18,200 at 0%
$0
$18,200 – $45,000 at 15%
$4,020
$45,000 – $135,000 at 30%
$10,500
Income tax
$14,520
Medicare levy
$1,600
Total
$16,120
Tax withheld
$16,500
This ignores other offsets (for example the seniors offset) and credits such as franking credits. Your notice of assessment is the final figure.
Tax is calculated on taxable income: your income minus deductions. Each slice of income is taxed at its own rate, so earning more never reduces your take-home pay.
We then subtract the low income tax offset, add the Medicare levy (and the surcharge if it applies) and any compulsory study loan repayment. Comparing that total with the tax your employer withheld gives the refund or amount owing.
The tax return you lodge between July and October 2026 is for the 2025–26 year, when the bottom rate was 16%. Pay you earn now is taxed under 2026–27 rates.
Common questions
Which year should I choose for my tax return?
Returns lodged in the second half of 2026 are for 2025–26 (1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026).
What is the tax-free threshold?
The first $18,200 of taxable income is tax-free for Australian residents. With the low income tax offset, you pay no income tax up to about $22,866 in 2026–27 (Medicare levy aside).
Why do I owe tax?
Common reasons: two jobs both claiming the tax-free threshold, untaxed income such as interest or side work, or a HECS debt your employer did not know about.