australia • AUD

HECS Calculator (Australia)

Estimate HECS-HELP repayments from your salary and see take-home pay impact using current ATO thresholds. Calculate annual and monthly repayments, understand how bonuses and second jobs affect your repayments – all in AUD.

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Income details

Primary annual salary

Annual bonus / commissions

Second job income (annual)

HECS status

Do you have HECS-HELP debt?

Financial Disclaimer: This result is an educational estimate produced by applying published rates and thresholds to the figures you entered. It is not a tax determination: your actual liability depends on circumstances this calculator does not collect. Confirm your position with the relevant tax authority or a qualified accountant before acting on it. Full disclaimer.

Sources & methodology

Formula:: Repayment income
Reference:: Federal Register of Legislation (Australian Government)
Rates for:: 2026/27
Scheduled re-verification:: August 2027

Calculation type: Rule-based calculation. Uses 2026 rates and thresholds. Figures are taken from Federal Register of Legislation (Australian Government) — see sources below.

Your entries stay on this device. This calculator runs entirely in your browser — the figures you type are not sent to us or to anyone else. The page itself uses cookies for analytics and advertising, described in the privacy policy.

Formula & methodology

Formula used

Repayment income

repayment income = salary + bonus + second-job income

HELP repayments are assessed on total repayment income, not on one employer's salary alone — which is why a second job can trigger a repayment the main employer is not withholding for.

Compulsory repayment (marginal)

repayment = Σ (income_in_band × band_rate)   for income above the threshold

Since 1 July 2025 repayment is marginal: only the income above the first threshold counts, charged at 15c in the dollar, rising to 17c above the higher threshold. The old system — a flat percentage of the entire income the moment you crossed a threshold — no longer applies.

Effective rate

effective rate = annual repayment ÷ repayment income

Shown so the marginal charge can be compared against the headline percentage; it is always lower than the marginal rate.

Limitations

Estimates the compulsory annual repayment only; it does not project the year-by-year run-down of a HELP balance.
Indexation of the outstanding debt (applied annually to the balance) is not modelled.
Voluntary repayments and their effect on the balance are excluded.
Repayment income here is the sum of the income fields entered; the ATO's definition also adds items such as reportable fringe benefits and net investment losses.

This page is educational. It applies a standard formula to the figures you enter and shows the arithmetic behind the result. It is an estimate, not an offer, a quotation or financial advice: real costs depend on the provider's pricing, fees and underwriting, and on circumstances this calculator does not collect.

Sources & references

Universities Accord (Cutting Student Debt by 20 Per Cent) Act 2025 (No. 30, 2025), Schedule 2 — Fairer repayment system — Federal Register of Legislation (Australian Government)
Higher Education Support Act 2003 — Division 154, compulsory repayments — Federal Register of Legislation (Australian Government)

Help & FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Clear answers to common questions to help you use this calculator confidently.

How accurate is this HECS Repayment Calculator for Australia?

Tap to view the answer

It uses the marginal repayment system in force since 1 July 2025: 15 cents in the dollar on repayment income above $69,528 and 17 cents above $129,717, capped at 10% of your total repayment income. Repayment thresholds are indexed each year, so re-check at the start of each financial year.

What happens if my income falls below the threshold?

Tap to view the answer

If income falls below the threshold, repayments may not be required. You can test different income levels.

How do voluntary repayments affect my HECS balance?

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Voluntary repayments can reduce your outstanding balance faster. The calculator can be used to explore this impact.

Does this HECS repayment calculator include tax or Medicare levy?

Tap to view the answer

No. It focuses only on HELP repayment estimates. Other taxes and levies should be considered separately.

Does repayment income mean the same thing as taxable income?

Tap to view the answer

No. Repayment income is taxable income plus reportable fringe benefits, reportable employer super contributions, exempt foreign employment income and net investment losses. This means salary sacrificing into superannuation does not reduce your compulsory HELP repayment, even though it reduces taxable income.

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Understanding HECS-HELP Repayments in Australia

What Is HECS-HELP?

HECS-HELP is a government loan that assists eligible students with university tuition fees. Repayments occur once income exceeds an annual threshold.

How Repayments Are Calculated

Since 1 July 2025 repayment has been marginal. You repay 15 cents in every dollar of repayment income above the minimum repayment income of $69,528, and 17 cents in every dollar above $129,717. Income below the threshold is never counted. The total is capped at 10% of your repayment income. Before this change, crossing a threshold applied a flat percentage to your whole income, so one extra dollar of pay could cost hundreds — that cliff is gone.

Impact on Take-Home Pay

Employers withhold additional tax each pay cycle when HECS is declared, reducing net pay.

Multiple Jobs & Bonuses

Repayment income counts your salary, bonuses and any second job together, and also adds back reportable fringe benefits, reportable employer super contributions and net investment losses. That add-back is why salary sacrificing into super does not reduce a HECS-HELP repayment, which is the most common misconception about this debt.

Using This Calculator

Enter all income sources to estimate HECS repayment and budgeting impact.

Formula & methodology

Formula used

Repayment income

repayment income = salary + bonus + second-job income

HELP repayments are assessed on total repayment income, not on one employer's salary alone — which is why a second job can trigger a repayment the main employer is not withholding for.

Compulsory repayment (marginal)

repayment = Σ (income_in_band × band_rate)   for income above the threshold

Effective rate

effective rate = annual repayment ÷ repayment income

Shown so the marginal charge can be compared against the headline percentage; it is always lower than the marginal rate.

Limitations

Estimates the compulsory annual repayment only; it does not project the year-by-year run-down of a HELP balance.
Indexation of the outstanding debt (applied annually to the balance) is not modelled.
Voluntary repayments and their effect on the balance are excluded.
Repayment income here is the sum of the income fields entered; the ATO's definition also adds items such as reportable fringe benefits and net investment losses.

Calculator inputs

Income details

HECS status

Your results

Sources & methodology

Formula & methodology

Formula used

Repayment income

Compulsory repayment (marginal)

Effective rate

Limitations

Sources & references

How accurate is this HECS Repayment Calculator for Australia?

What happens if my income falls below the threshold?

How do voluntary repayments affect my HECS balance?

Does this HECS repayment calculator include tax or Medicare levy?

Does repayment income mean the same thing as taxable income?

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Calculator inputs

Income details

HECS status

Your results

Sources & methodology

How to Use This Calculator

Example HECS Repayment Scenario (Australia)

Understanding Your Results

Key Tips

Understanding HECS-HELP Repayments in Australia

What Is HECS-HELP?

How Repayments Are Calculated

Impact on Take-Home Pay

Multiple Jobs & Bonuses

Using This Calculator

Formula & methodology

Formula used

Repayment income

Compulsory repayment (marginal)

Effective rate

Limitations

Sources & references

How to Use This Calculator

Example HECS Repayment Scenario (Australia)

Understanding Your Results

Key Tips

Understanding HECS-HELP Repayments in Australia

What Is HECS-HELP?

How Repayments Are Calculated

Impact on Take-Home Pay

Multiple Jobs & Bonuses

Using This Calculator