Calculate your compulsory HELP repayment for 2026-27 or 2025-26, then model how income growth, indexation assumptions, and voluntary payments affect your payoff timeline.
2026-27 + 2025-26Marginal repayment rates
01 —INPUTS
Sets the compulsory repayment thresholds used throughout the scenario.
Not always the same as taxable income. Switch to “Build from details” if you are unsure.
Your current HECS-HELP, VSL, or SSL balance. Check myGov for your exact amount.
Set your own assumption. The actual 1 June rate is the lower of CPI or WPI and changes each year.
Modelled before indexation each year, so it reduces the balance indexed that 1 June. No bonus discount applies.
02 —RESULTS
Awaiting input
Enter your income and loan balance to see your repayment projection.
HELP repayments are compulsory once your repayment income exceeds the threshold. Your employer withholds repayments from your pay through the PAYG system if they know about your HELP debt. Repayment income includes:
→Taxable income, excluding assessable FHSS released amounts
→Reportable fringe benefits
→Reportable super contributions
→Total net investment losses, including net rental losses
→Exempt foreign employment income
This is usually higher than your taxable income if you salary sacrifice or receive fringe benefits.
2025-26 vs 2024-25: what changed?
Old system (2024-25)
•Flat rate on total income
•Threshold: $54,435
•Rates: 1% to 10%
•Rate applies to ALL income once threshold crossed
New system (2025-26)
•Marginal rate on income above threshold
•Threshold: $67,000
•Rates: 15% to 17% (on excess only)
•You only pay on the amount OVER $67,000
Old system ($80k income)$80,000 × 4% = $3,200
New system ($80k income)$13,000 × 15% = $1,950
Annual saving$1,250/year
2026-27 thresholds (from 1 July 2026)
For the 2026-27 year the minimum repayment income rises to $69,528.00, indexed from $67,000. Repayments stay on the marginal system — you only pay on income above the threshold:
Repayment income
Repayment on this income
$0 – $69,528.00
Nil
$69,529 – $129,717
15c for each $1 over $69,528
$129,718 and over
$9,028.35 + 17c for each $1 over $129,717, or 10% of total income — whichever is lower
Worked examples for 2026-27:
$80,000.00 income
Above threshold: $10,472.00
Annual repayment: $1,570.80
Effective rate: 2.0% of income
$110,000.00 income
Above threshold: $40,472.00
Annual repayment: $6,070.80
Effective rate: 5.5% of income
$150,000.00 income
Above threshold: $80,472.00
Annual repayment: $12,476.46
Effective rate: 8.3% of income
20% debt reduction & annual indexation
→One-off 20% reduction: Applied to eligible study-loan balances incurred on or before 1 June 2025. It was automatic and is not repeated each year.
→Indexation (1 June annually): Eligible accumulated debt is adjusted using the lower of CPI or WPI. Because future rates are unknown, the calculator treats indexation as a user-controlled assumption.
→Latest actual indexation: The rate applied on 1 June 2026 was 2.8%. This is historical; it is not a forecast for the next 1 June.
→Voluntary repayments: No direct discount applies. The model assumes the entered voluntary amount is paid before 1 June each year, reducing the balance indexed that year.
FAQ
What changed for HELP repayments in 2025-26?
From 2025-26, HELP repayments switched from a flat rate on total income to a marginal rate system. You now only pay on income above $67,000 (up from $54,435). This means lower repayments for most borrowers, especially those earning under $180,000.
What is repayment income for HELP?
Repayment income combines taxable income (excluding assessable FHSS released amounts), reportable fringe benefits, total net investment losses, reportable super contributions, and exempt foreign employment income. It can be higher than taxable income even when a deduction reduces your tax bill.
Do I have to make HELP repayments?
HELP repayments are compulsory once your repayment income exceeds the threshold for the selected year ($69,528 for 2026-27 or $67,000 for 2025-26). Your employer withholds an estimate if they know about your study loan; the final compulsory repayment is calculated when your tax return is assessed.
Did HELP debts get a 20% reduction?
A one-off 20% reduction applied to eligible study-loan balances incurred on or before 1 June 2025. It was automatic; it is not a recurring annual reduction.
How does indexation affect my HELP debt?
Your eligible accumulated HELP debt is indexed on 1 June each year using the lower of CPI or WPI. The calculator asks for an assumed future indexation rate because that rate changes each year and future values are not known.
Should I make voluntary HELP repayments?
Since the voluntary repayment bonus was removed in 2017, there is no direct discount for paying extra. A voluntary payment received before 1 June can reduce the eligible balance indexed that year. The calculator estimates the possible indexation and timing effect using your assumptions; compare that with your cash buffer and other debts before paying.
What is the HELP repayment threshold for 2026-27?
From 1 July 2026 the minimum repayment income is $69,528. The formula adds 15 cents per dollar above $69,528 and another 17 cents per dollar above $129,717, then compares that result with 10% of total repayment income and uses the lower amount.
What is STSL?
STSL stands for Study and Training Support Loans — the ATO's collective term covering HELP/HECS, VET Student Loans, SFSS, SSL and TSL. If you've notified your employer of a study loan on your TFN declaration (or withholding declaration), they withhold an 'STSL component' from each pay through PAYG. That withholding is only an estimate based on your repayment income; your actual compulsory repayment is worked out on your tax return against the annual thresholds, and any amount over-withheld comes back to you as part of your refund.
Applies the selected 2025-26 or 2026-27 HELP marginal repayment framework. Long-term projections hold that selected year's repayment thresholds constant and use your indexation and income-growth assumptions; they are scenarios, not forecasts of future indexed thresholds.