HECS-HELP Repayment Calculator
Estimate your compulsory HECS-HELP repayment for the Australian financial year 2026-27. The calculator uses the official 19-band schedule published by the Australian Taxation Office, with the minimum repayment threshold currently set at $54,435 and the top rate at 10.0%.
How this calculator works
This calculator applies Australia's progressive tax brackets to the income you enter, moving each dollar through the correct marginal rate until the full amount is accounted for. The effective rate shown at the bottom is the total tax divided by gross income — a useful number for budgeting because it represents what you actually pay on every dollar earned, not just the headline marginal rate. We never apply a flat percentage to total income. Standard deductions and common adjustments are applied in the same order the tax authority applies them, so the result matches the official calculation within rounding error. If you file jointly, select the joint filing status — brackets widen substantially and the difference is meaningful for middle-income households.
Required inputs: taxable income, tax year, outstanding HECS-HELP balance (optional).
Source: Australian Taxation Office, HELP repayment thresholds and rates (FY 2026-27)
Quick estimate
The 19-band ATO schedule for FY 2026-27
Each row below is one of the official ATO income bands. Once your repayment income crosses a band, the corresponding rate is applied to your entire repayment income — not just the amount above the threshold. This is a critical difference from progressive tax brackets.
| Band | Income from | Income to | Rate | Repayment at top of band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0 | $54,434 | 0.0% | $0 |
| 2 | $54,435 | $62,850 | 1.0% | $629 |
| 3 | $62,851 | $66,620 | 2.0% | $1,332 |
| 4 | $66,621 | $70,618 | 2.5% | $1,765 |
| 5 | $70,619 | $74,855 | 3.0% | $2,246 |
| 6 | $74,856 | $79,346 | 3.5% | $2,777 |
| 7 | $79,347 | $84,107 | 4.0% | $3,364 |
| 8 | $84,108 | $89,154 | 4.5% | $4,012 |
| 9 | $89,155 | $94,503 | 5.0% | $4,725 |
| 10 | $94,504 | $100,174 | 5.5% | $5,510 |
| 11 | $100,175 | $106,185 | 6.0% | $6,371 |
| 12 | $106,186 | $112,556 | 6.5% | $7,316 |
| 13 | $112,557 | $119,309 | 7.0% | $8,352 |
| 14 | $119,310 | $126,467 | 7.5% | $9,485 |
| 15 | $126,468 | $134,056 | 8.0% | $10,724 |
| 16 | $134,057 | $142,100 | 8.5% | $12,079 |
| 17 | $142,101 | $150,626 | 9.0% | $13,556 |
| 18 | $150,627 | $159,663 | 9.5% | $15,168 |
| 19 | $159,664 | — | 10.0% | open |
Source: Australian Taxation Office HELP, TSL and SFSS repayment thresholds and rates · 2026-27
What changes year to year
The ATO publishes new repayment thresholds and rates each May or June, after the Federal Budget. Three things move annually: the minimum threshold (the income above which any repayment is required), the step amounts between bands, and — separately, on 1 June each year — the indexation rate applied to your outstanding balance. Since the Higher Education Support Amendment Act 2024, indexation is the lower of CPI or WPI over the year to 31 March, capping the cost of carrying a balance during high-inflation years.