Tax Return · Calculator

Tax Return Calculator Australia 2026

Find out if you'll get money back or owe the ATO on the 2025-26 return you can lodge from 1 July 2026. Enter your income, the tax already withheld, and your deductions to estimate your refund.

Defaults to 2025-26 rates — the return you lodge from 1 July 2026. This is an estimate only — your actual refund may differ.

01 —INPUTS

2025-26 is the return being lodged now

Salary, allowances, interest, dividends, rent and other assessable income before deductions.

From your PAYG payment summary or income statement

Uniforms, tools, self-education, work travel, etc.

Donations, union or professional fees, income-protection premiums, investment costs and tax-agent fees.

Medicare levy

Used only for the Medicare levy family-income reduction.

Enter only days for which you meet an ATO exemption category. Overlapping full and half days are capped to the income year.

Uses ATO repayment-income rules. Add the annual adjustment amounts below if they appear on your return.

Awaiting input

Enter your income and tax withheld to estimate your refund
How your tax return works

Throughout the year, your employer withholds tax from your pay based on how much they expect you'll owe. When you lodge your tax return, the ATO calculates your actual tax liability and compares it to what was withheld:

→ Refund — If more was withheld than you owe, you get the difference back
→ Amount owing — If less was withheld than you owe, you need to pay the difference
What affects your refund?

Deductions: Work-related expenses, working from home (70c/hr), self-education, donations and other eligible costs. For the 2025-26 return, $300 is a written-evidence exception, not a free deduction. If relevant work claims exceed $300, keep evidence for the full claim, subject to category-specific rules.

Multiple income sources: Each payer withholds as if they're your only income source, which can lead to under-withholding.

Tax offsets (private health insurance rebate etc.) reduce your tax payable directly — your actual refund may be higher if eligible.

Common reasons for a tax bill: multiple jobs, investment income with no tax withheld, capital gains, incorrect TFN declaration, HELP debt repayments not withheld.

2025-26 resident tax rates
Taxable income Tax on this income
$0 – $18,200 Nil
$18,201 – $45,000 16c per $1 over $18,200
$45,001 – $135,000 30c per $1 over $45,000
$135,001 – $190,000 37c per $1 over $135,000
$190,001 and over 45c per $1 over $190,000

Plus the Medicare levy, with a reduction or exemption at eligible low incomes. These are the rates for the 2025-26 return you lodge now — switch the calculator to 2026-27 to estimate the year in progress on the new 15% second-bracket rate.

Worked examples (2025-26)

Estimated resident income tax after LITO plus the Medicare levy, before deductions, HELP, other offsets or PAYG withheld. Your refund estimate starts with tax withheld minus this liability.

$50,000.00 income

  • Income tax: $5,538.00
  • LITO applied: −$250.00
  • Medicare levy: $1,000.00
  • Total: $6,538.00
  • Effective rate: 13.1%

$90,000.00 income

  • Income tax: $17,788.00
  • Medicare levy: $1,800.00
  • Total: $19,588.00
  • Effective rate: 21.8%

$150,000.00 income

  • Income tax: $36,838.00
  • Medicare levy: $3,000.00
  • Total: $39,838.00
  • Effective rate: 26.6%
Before you lodge — 5-minute checklist
→ Wait for pre-fill. Most employer income statements, bank interest and dividend data finalise mid-to-late July. Lodging before then risks needing an amendment.
→ Submitted your super notice of intent? If you made personal super contributions in 2025-26 and want a deduction, lodge your notice of intent to claim your super deduction before you lodge your return — the deduction is forfeited if the notice goes in after.
→ Gather your deductions. If relevant 2025-26 work claims exceed $300, written evidence is generally needed for the full claim, subject to specific exceptions. Use the WFH deductions calculator or the deductions action plan to see what you can claim.
→ Estimate your refund first. Run the tax refund estimator to see your expected outcome — including LITO, Medicare levy and HELP repayments — before you lodge.
→ Lodge by 31 October 2026. The self-lodgment deadline for the 2025-26 return is 31 October 2026. Using a registered tax agent may entitle you to a later date.
FAQ
How is a tax refund calculated?
Your refund is the difference between the tax withheld during the year (shown on your income statement) and your actual tax liability based on your taxable income. If you withheld more than you owe, you get a refund.
What deductions can I claim?
You can claim eligible expenses directly related to earning your income, including work-related travel, occupation-specific clothing, tools, self-education and working from home. For 2025-26, the $300 rule is a written-evidence exception, not an automatic deduction: if your relevant work claims exceed $300, you generally need written evidence for the full claim, subject to category-specific exceptions.
Why do I owe tax instead of getting a refund?
Common reasons include having multiple jobs (each employer withholds tax as if they're your only income), investment income without tax withheld, or your employer under-withholding based on incorrect information.
When will I get my refund?
Most refunds are processed within 2 weeks if you lodge online through myTax. Paper returns take longer. If the ATO needs to review your return, it may take additional time.
What if I can't pay my tax bill?
The ATO offers payment plans for people who can't pay their tax bill in full. Contact them early to avoid penalties. Interest applies to overdue amounts.
When can I lodge my 2025-26 tax return?
You can lodge your 2025-26 return from 1 July 2026. Most pre-fill data (employer income statements, bank interest, dividends) is finalised by mid-to-late July, so lodging late July onward reduces the chance of needing an amendment.
What changed for tax from 1 July 2026?
The 2026-27 financial year began on 1 July 2026: the second-bracket rate dropped from 16% to 15%, MLS income thresholds were indexed, and the enacted work-expense standard deduction commenced for eligible workers. Its statutory amount is the lesser of $1,000 and assessable labour income, reduced by relevant actual work deductions. These settings affect the 2026-27 return you'll lodge in 2027 — the return you lodge now is still assessed on 2025-26 rules.
Which tax year does this calculator use?
It defaults to 2025-26 — the return you lodge from 1 July 2026 — and applies resident rates, LITO, the Medicare family and exemption details you enter, and optional HELP repayments for the selected year. Use the year selector to switch to 2024-25 for a late or amended return, or 2026-27 to estimate the year in progress.

Tax Accuracy & Sources

Reviewed: 17 July 2026 · Tax year: 2026-27

Estimates refund or amount owing for an Australian resident from assessable income, withholding, deductions, LITO, Medicare levy family settings and exemption days, and optional HELP repayment-income adjustments. It excludes Medicare levy surcharge, SAPTO, private health rebates, foreign-resident rules, other offsets, private rulings and full return complexity.

Related calculators

Tax Refund Calculator Estimate your ATO tax refund for 2025-26 and 2026-27 with LITO, Medicare Levy 2%, MLS tiers, HELP repayment, occupation-aware deduction prompts EOFY Action Plan Personalised ranking of EOFY tax-saving levers — concessional super, IAWO, prepay interest, DGR donation, CGT timing — at your marginal rate EOFY Checklist 2026 Occupation-aware EOFY checklist: documents to gather, deduction prompts, pre-30 June actions, ATO trap reminders Tax Deductions Action Plan 3-stage tax-year rhythm: track / prepay / claim. Ranks 14 levers: WFH method, car method, self-education, depreciation, laundry, prepaid interest, IAWO, DGR donations, and super contributions WFH Deductions Calculator Fixed-rate 70¢/hr vs actual-cost method side-by-side Budget 2026-27 Net Impact Calculator See how the Federal Budget 2026-27 affects you in dollars — $1k instant deduction, WATO, Medicare levy retro, NG reform, CGT changes.