HECS-HELP repayment calculator 2026-27
Compulsory HELP repayments (still widely called HECS) now work like income tax: nothing up to $69,528 of repayment income, then 15c and 17c of each dollar above the thresholds, and 10% of your whole repayment income from $186,051.
- 2026-27 tax year
- Rates verified against the ATO on
- Sources · How we calculate · How we check
Estimated compulsory HELP repayment, 2026‑27
$12,476
8.3% of your $150,000 repayment income. 17c of each extra dollar goes to HELP, on top of income tax and the Medicare levy.
| Income | You repay |
|---|---|
| $0 to $69,528 | Nil |
| $69,529 to $129,717 | 15c per $1 over $69,528 |
| $129,718 to $186,050 you | $9,028 plus 17c per $1 over $129,717 |
| $186,051 and over | 10% of total repayment income |
Worked out on your tax return. Your employer withholds an amount towards it from each pay if you have told them you have a study loan, and any difference is settled at tax time. Voluntary repayments are not modelled.
Examples
2026-27, repayment income equal to taxable income, single, no fringe benefits.
| Repayment income | Repayment | vs 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| $80,000 | $1,571 | −$379 |
| $100,000 | $4,571 | −$379 |
| $130,000 | $9,076 | −$474 |
| $150,000 | $12,476 | −$474 |
| $186,050 | $18,605 | $0 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 | $0 |
| $250,000 | $25,000 | $0 |
| $300,000 | $30,000 | $0 |
Take-home is after income tax, the 2% Medicare levy and the HELP repayment, before any Medicare levy surcharge or Division 293 tax. See the take-home pay calculator for those.
How we calculate
- Repayment income = taxable income + reportable fringe benefits + total net investment loss + reportable super contributions + exempt foreign employment income.
- 2026-27 thresholds: $69,528 and under nil; 15c per $1 over $69,528; $9,028 plus 17c per $1 over $129,717; and from $186,051, 10% of total repayment income.
- The 2025-26 comparison uses last year's thresholds of $67,000, $125,000 and $179,285.
- The marginal rate adds your income tax rate, the 2% Medicare levy and the HELP rate for your tier, before any Medicare levy surcharge or Division 293 tax. If your loan balance caps the repayment, the next dollar carries no HELP. Salary sacrifice moves income out of taxable income but not out of repayment income.
Questions
Does salary sacrifice reduce my HELP repayment?
No. Salary sacrifice lowers your taxable income, but it is a reportable super contribution, which is added back into repayment income. Sacrificing $20,000 from a $180,000 salary leaves the repayment at $17,576, the same as without it ($17,576).
Is it still a 10% cliff at the top?
Not a cliff any more. From 2025-26 the top rate is 10% of all repayment income, but the 17c tier below climbs to meet it. At $186,050 the repayment is $18,605; at $186,100 it is $18,610.
What counts as repayment income?
Taxable income (leaving out assessable First Home Super Saver amounts), plus reportable fringe benefits, total net investment loss (including rental losses), reportable super contributions and exempt foreign employment income.
Does this cover VET Student Loans and other study loans?
Yes. The same thresholds cover HELP, VET Student Loan (VSL), SFSS, Student Start-up Loan (SSL), ABSTUDY SSL and Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan (AASL, formerly TSL) debts. It is one combined repayment, applied to your loans in that order.