HELP repayment thresholds 2026-27 Australia
Quick answer: compulsory HELP repayments start once repayment income moves above $69,528.00. The 2026-27 rules use the same marginal system as 2025-26, but the bands were indexed higher, so the repayment rises in bands rather than applying one flat percentage to your entire income straight away.
Comparing years? See the 2025-26 HELP repayment thresholds page for last year's figures.
2026-27 repayment bands
| Repayment income | Rate | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| $0 to $69,528.00 | Nil | No compulsory repayment. |
| $69,529.00 to $129,717.00 | 15% | 15c for each $1 above the threshold. |
| $129,718.00 to $186,050.00 | 17% | $9,028.35 plus 17c for each $1 above $129,717.00. |
| $186,051.00 and above | 10% | 10% of total repayment income. |
What the threshold means in practice
- If you sit just under $69,528.00, a small pay rise can start compulsory withholding.
- If your salary sacrifice or deductions change repayment income, your take-home outcome can move even when gross salary does not.
- Above $186,051.00, HELP behaves more like a straight 10% overlay on repayment income.
- $67,000 was last year's minimum threshold — under the indexed 2026-27 bands it now sits below the new $69,528 threshold, so income at that level no longer triggers a compulsory repayment at all.
Example repayment checkpoints
| Income | Estimated HELP repayment | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| $67,000.00 | $0.00 | Below threshold — no compulsory repayment. |
| $69,528.00 | $0.00 | Below threshold — no compulsory repayment. |
| $75,000.00 | $820.80 | Repayment applies at 1.1% effective band rate. |
| $100,000.00 | $4,570.80 | Repayment applies at 4.6% effective band rate. |
| $130,000.00 | $9,076.46 | Repayment applies at 7.0% effective band rate. |
| $160,000.00 | $14,176.46 | Repayment applies at 8.9% effective band rate. |
| $190,000.00 | $19,000.00 | Repayment applies at 10.0% effective band rate. |
STSL on your payslip
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 the PAYG system.
- The STSL component withheld each pay is only an estimate based on your expected repayment income for the year.
- Your actual compulsory repayment is calculated on your tax return against the annual thresholds and bands above.
- If your employer withheld more STSL than your actual compulsory repayment, the difference comes back as part of your refund.
Calculate your HELP repayment
Move from threshold guidance into a personalized repayment estimate.
Salary sacrifice vs HELP
See how packaging pre-tax income changes repayment income and your compulsory HELP repayment.
See the full marginal-rates guide
Use the long-form explainer if you want side-by-side 2025-26 vs 2026-27 method detail rather than just the threshold decision.
Frequently asked questions
What is the HELP repayment threshold for 2026-27?
How does the 2026-27 HELP system work?
Why does HELP feel different from income tax?
What is the STSL component on my payslip?
Tax Accuracy & Sources
This page summarizes 2026-27 HELP repayment triggers and band logic for planning. It does not replace ATO repayment income definitions.