PAYG Withholding Calculator Australia
Calculate how much PAYG tax should be withheld from your pay each period. Enter weekly, fortnightly, or monthly gross pay to estimate withholding using current ATO tax tables.
Defaults to 2026–27. For a 2025–26 HELP payslip, also choose whether the pay date was before or from 24 September 2025, when the ATO changed Schedule 8.
Uses the ATO resident withholding schedule for that financial year.
Most people claim this from one employer
Includes HELP, VSL, SSL, ABSTUDY SSL and TSL debts reported to payroll.
Adds the official NAT 1004 extra amount for the selected tax year to every pay. Check your employer's payroll calendar before selecting this.
Enter your gross pay to calculate withholding
When you start a job, you complete a TFN declaration telling your employer:
Your employer uses this information along with ATO tax tables to calculate how much to withhold from each pay. They send this money to the ATO on your behalf throughout the year.
The tax-free threshold means the first $18,200 of your annual income is tax-free. When you claim the threshold, your employer withholds less tax because they account for this tax-free amount.
When to claim the tax-free threshold
Warning
Claiming the threshold from multiple employers can cause under-withholding when total annual income exceeds $18,200. The ATO exception is where you expect total income from all payers to remain below that threshold.
Some payroll calendars contain one extra payday. ATO NAT 1004 instructs employers to add an amount to each payment so withholding is spread across the actual number of pays. For 2026–27:
53 weekly pays
$875–$2,574: +$3 · $2,575–$3,649: +$7 · $3,650+: +$12 each pay
27 fortnightly pays
$1,700–$5,199: +$12 · $5,200–$7,249: +$27 · $7,250+: +$48 each pay
For 2025–26 (NAT 1004-06.2024) the amounts differ slightly: 53 weekly pays — $875–$2,574: +$3 · $2,575–$3,649: +$6 · $3,650+: +$12; 27 fortnightly pays — $1,750–$5,149: +$12 · $5,150–$7,249: +$26 · $7,250+: +$47.
Only select this option when your employer confirms the extra payday applies. It is not the same as receiving an irregular bonus or back payment.
ATO Schedule 1 withholding for common fortnightly pay levels (claiming tax-free threshold, no HELP):
| Fortnightly gross | Annual equivalent | Tax withheld | Net pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000.00 | $52,000.00 | $276.00 | $1,724.00 |
| $2,500.00 | $65,000.00 | $438.00 | $2,062.00 |
| $3,000.00 | $78,000.00 | $598.00 | $2,402.00 |
| $3,500.00 | $91,000.00 | $758.00 | $2,742.00 |
| $4,000.00 | $104,000.00 | $918.00 | $3,082.00 |
Whole-dollar amounts use the 2026–27 ATO Schedule 1 resident Scale 2 coefficients.
If you declare a HELP or other study debt, your employer uses Schedule 8. The calculator compares Schedule 8's combined amount with ordinary Schedule 1 withholding to show the extra STSL component. The final compulsory repayment is assessed separately using annual repayment income bands:
| Repayment income | Final compulsory repayment |
|---|---|
| $0 – $69,528.00 | No compulsory repayment |
| $69,529.00 – $129,717.00 | 15% on income above $69,528.00 |
| $129,718.00 – $186,050.00 | $9,028.35 + 17% above $129,717.00 |
| $186,051.00+ | 10% of total repayment income |
What is PAYG withholding?
What is the tax-free threshold?
Why is my actual pay different from this calculator?
Should I claim the tax-free threshold from both jobs?
What if there are 53 weekly or 27 fortnightly pays?
How do I change my PAYG withholding?
Tax Accuracy & Sources
Applies ATO Schedule 1 resident Scale 1 or 2 and Schedule 8 STSL coefficients with official pay-period conversion and whole-dollar rounding. For 2026-27 it can also apply the NAT 1004 53-week or 27-fortnight additional withholding table. Excludes variations, exemptions and irregular-payment rules.