Australian Income Tax & Tax Refund Calculator 2025–26
Estimate your income tax, Medicare levy and HELP repayment, then compare it with the tax withheld from your pay to see your likely refund or amount payable. Your numbers stay in your browser — nothing is sent or saved.
Please note: Estimate only, based on 2025–26 rates (2026–27 rates optional). General information, not advice. Your actual result depends on your full tax return.
Your estimate
Your estimate will appear here.
How this is calculated
Tax on taxable income uses the ATO resident or foreign resident tax rates, minus the low income tax offset (residents only), plus the 2% Medicare levy (reduced for low incomes), the Medicare levy surcharge if you have no private hospital cover and your income is above the threshold, and the compulsory HELP repayment. Your refund is the tax withheld minus that total. Working holiday makers, the seniors offset (SAPTO), other offsets and family Medicare reductions are not included — we check those when we prepare your return.
Ready to lodge? Our accountants prepare your individual tax return and make sure every deduction is claimed — or lodge your tax return online from anywhere in Australia.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my tax refund lower than last year?
A refund is only the difference between the tax withheld from your pay and the tax you actually owe. Common reasons it falls: your employer withheld less during the year, you had a second job or a pay rise, a HELP repayment or Medicare levy surcharge now applies, or you have fewer deductions. A smaller refund does not always mean you paid more tax.
What deductions can I claim?
You can generally claim expenses directly related to earning your income that your employer did not reimburse — for example work-from-home costs, work travel, tools and equipment, union fees, donations to registered charities and the cost of your tax agent. You need records. Our accountants go through the deductions that fit your job when we prepare your return.
How are foreign residents taxed in Australia?
Foreign residents pay 30% from the first dollar of Australian income up to $135,000 — there is no tax-free threshold, no low income tax offset and no Medicare levy. Whether you are a resident for tax purposes depends on the ATO residency tests, not your visa alone.
Is this the same as the ATO result?
No. It is an estimate based on the official rates and thresholds. The ATO calculates your actual result from your full tax return, including offsets, fringe benefits, investment losses and private health insurance details that this calculator does not cover.
Get your actual refund worked out
Send us your details through our online form and an accountant will contact you to confirm everything before we lodge.
Sunnybank office: by appointment only — call (07) 3219 3252 to book.
Rates verified 29 October 2026. Official sources: ATO – resident tax rates · ATO – Medicare levy reduction · ATO – Medicare levy surcharge · ATO – study loan repayments · ATO – low income tax offset