Aussie Calculators

2026–27 rates Australian resident

Tax Refund Estimator

Enter what you earned and the tax your employer already withheld. This works out the tax you actually owe for 2026–27 — including the Medicare levy, the low income tax offset and the low-income levy reduction — and tells you whether you are owed money or the other way round.

1 Income and tax withheld2 Refund or bill

$
$

Step 2 · your result

Refund

$0

for the year

Income tax before offset
$0
Low income tax offset
$0
Medicare levy
$0
Total tax you owe
$0
Withheld by your employer
$0
Effective tax rate
0%

Rates and offsets from the Australian Taxation Office, checked 11 October 2026. General information only — this is not a tax return, and it does not know about your deductions.

What this does and does not include

IncludedNot included
2026–27 resident tax rates, band by bandDeductions of any kind — work, investment or donations
The Medicare levy, with its reduction below $28,011The Medicare levy surcharge (needs your hospital cover and family status)
The low income tax offset (up to $700)HELP / HECS repayments, and the study loan itself
The tax-free threshold applied oncePrivate health insurance rebate, franking credits, foreign income

If any item in the right-hand column applies to you, this estimate will be wrong in a known direction — and worth checking against an ATO prefill before you rely on the number.

Why a refund happens at all

Employers withhold using the ATO's PAYG tables, which apply the tax-free threshold to every job and know nothing about your other income. That is why two jobs, or a job that started mid-year, usually end in a refund or a bill. This tool deliberately skips the withholding tables: you type the figure your employer already withheld, so there is no second source of truth to disagree with.

Worked example at $75,000: tax before offsets is $13,020.00, the low income tax offset is worth nothing at this income, and the Medicare levy is $1,500.00 — so the tax owed is $14,520.00. If your income statement shows $16,000 withheld, you are owed about $1,480.00.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if I am getting a refund?

Compare two numbers: the tax you actually owe for the year, and the tax your employer withheld from your pay. If more was withheld than you owe, the difference comes back as a refund. If less was withheld, you have a bill. This calculator works out the first number; you read the second off your income statement.

Where do I find the tax withheld?

On your income statement in myGov (or ATO online services), in the PAYG withholding section — it is the total for the year, not the amount in your last payslip. Your employer also reports it to the ATO, so the figure in myGov is the one that counts.

Why is my refund different from what this says?

Because this is deliberately narrow. It applies the 2026–27 resident tax rates, the Medicare levy with its low-income reduction, and the low income tax offset. It does not know about your deductions, other offsets, the Medicare levy surcharge, HELP repayments, private health insurance rebates, investment income or salary sacrifice. Every one of those moves the answer.

Does a refund mean I paid too much?

Not exactly — it means more was withheld than you owed. That can be deliberate (it is a forced saving) or accidental (a second job, or a job that started mid-year, which applies the tax-free threshold twice). Being owed a large refund every year is worth fixing: the money could have been in your account all year.

What about the Medicare levy?

It is included, and for low incomes it is reduced or nil: the levy is nil up to $28,011 and phases in at 10 cents per dollar until the full 2% applies. Above that it is simply 2% of taxable income. The surcharge is not included — that depends on whether you hold private hospital cover.

Which year is this for?

The 2026–27 resident rates, from the ATO, checked 11 October 2026. If you are checking a return for an earlier year, use the brackets for that year — they are all on one page.

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