How can I reduce the amount of tax I pay?

You can reduce your taxable income, and therefore reduce the amount of tax you need to pay, by claiming deductions.

Do I need to declare interest on my savings account if it’s a small amount?

Yes, you’ll need to declare any interest earned in a savings account.

When do I need to lodge my tax return?

If you're doing your tax return yourself online, you need to lodge your tax returns by 31 October. Keep in mind that the financial year ends on the 30 June.

Is prize money taxable?

Winnings from lotteries, game shows and raffles aren’t taxable, but if you regularly receive winnings from game shows it might be.

Is child support taxable?

You usually don’t have to declare child support payments, as someone has already paid tax on this.

Are cash birthday presents taxable?

These are not taxable, although if the amount received was a large amount or was earned in a business-style transaction they might be.

Are overseas pensions taxable?

If you’re an Australian resident for tax purposes, you’ll be taxed on your foreign pensions, annuities, capital gains from overseas properties and more. Australia has a system to avoid double taxation in the event that you get taxed in the country where your income comes from. If you’re not an Australian resident, you usually won’t need to declare earnings from overseas sources.

Tax calculator 2025-26: How much tax do I have to pay?

Estimate your 2025-26 tax liability and potential return using gross income only.
Income is taxed incrementally meaning only the portion above a threshold incurs the higher rate.
Claim eligible deductions to reduce your taxable income and maximise your potential tax return.

How to use the income tax calculator

Add up your total annual income for the year (your gross annual income will be on your income statement or latest payslip for the financial year).
Don't forget about any additional money you've made from freelance, contract work or a side hustle.
Enter this figure into the income tax calculator below to see how much tax you will need to pay for the 2025-26 financial year.
This will give you an estimate of how much tax you should have paid for the year.

Outcomes provided are based only on the information you give, and you should only use it as general advice. It doesn't take into account your personal or financial situation, any Medicare levy, HECS-HELP debt or any capital gains tax you need to pay, and is just for your standard, annual income. The calculator doesn't take into account any deductions you're eligible to claim. If you have tax deductions to claim, a tax agent can help you claim these correctly to help increase the amount of tax you get back (and you can claim the tax agent fee as a deduction, too).

Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this calculator, the results should only be used as an indication. They are neither a recommendation nor an eligibility test for any product and should not be construed as financial advice, investment advice or any other sort of advice.

Calculating your tax return: How much tax will I get back?

The calculator will give you an estimate of how much tax you'll need to pay based on your annual income. If you've paid more tax than you need to, you should get the difference back as a tax return. Alternatively, if you have not paid the correct amount of tax you will need to make up the difference and pay this to the ATO.

This calculator is just an estimate. It doesn't take into account the Medicare levy or any HECS-HELP debt you might have, which will also come out of your return.

Expert insight

"Australian income tax is ever-changing, complex and not always black and white. A tax misconception we often come across is [that] earning more income will result in being worse off from a tax perspective. That is simply not the case; the Australian tax system is based on incremental tax thresholds, which means when your income moves into another tax threshold, only the income greater than the threshold is taxed at the higher rate."

Sean Urquhart

Partner, Taxation Consulting, Nexia Australia

How much tax have you paid?

If you earn a salary from your job (meaning you're not a business owner or sole trader) the amount of income tax you've paid should be on your group certificate, payment summary or income statement from your employer.

If that's your only source of income, then the tax you've paid should be very close to what you actually owe. But don't forget to factor in other income sources like dividends from shares, and deductions you can claim.

What are the tax thresholds for the 2026-27 financial year?

To better understand how your tax is calculated, refer to the tax threshold table below.

Taxable income	Tax on this income
0 – $18,200	Nil
$18,201 – $45,000	16c for each $1 over $18,200
$45,001 – $135,000	$4,288 plus 30c for each $1 over $45,000
$135,001 – $190,000	$31,288 plus 37c for each $1 over $135,000
$190,001 and over	$51,638 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000

Income tax rates also depend on your income and your residency status. Non-residents are taxed at a high rate and are not entitled to a tax-free threshold.

So if you're a non-resident, you'll need to pay tax on all income earned from an Australian source.

Your general tax questions answered

If you’re an Australian resident for tax purposes, you’ll be taxed on your foreign pensions, annuities, capital gains from overseas properties and more. Australia has a system to avoid double taxation in the event that you get taxed in the country where your income comes from. If you’re not an Australian resident, you usually won’t need to declare earnings from overseas sources.

Want more tips on tax?

Use our comprehensive tax guides to stay on top of your finances this tax season.

How to complete a tax return

Whether it’s your first time or you're a seasoned veteran, lodging a tax return can be tricky. Let finder.com.au walk you through the process step-by-step.

The ultimate guide to tax deductions

Deductions are purchases that you can deduct from your total taxable income, meaning you could pay less tax. Find out the general legislation surrounding tax deductions, as well as some specific examples.

Top tips for maximising your tax returns

Our five top tips for using tax deductions to your advantage and boosting this year’s tax return.

Finder writers are subject matter experts and use primary sources, in-depth research and interviews with other experts to ensure you're getting accurate, up-to-date information. Articles are fact checked in line with our editorial guidelines.
1. Treasury Laws Amendment (More Cost of Living Relief) Act 2025

Thank you for your feedback!

Written by

Alison Banney

Editorial Manager, Money

Add to Preferred Sources

Alison is an editor at Finder and a personal finance journalist with over 10 years of experience, having contributed to major financial institutions and publications such as Westpac, Money Magazine, and Yahoo Finance. She is frequently quoted in media outlets like SmartCompany and SBS, offering expert insights on superannuation and money management. Alison holds a Bachelor of Communications in Public Relations and Journalism from the University of Newcastle, and has earned three ASIC RG146 certifications in superannuation, securities and managed investments and general financial advice, ensuring her expertise is fully aligned with ASIC standards. See full bio

Alison's expertise

Alison has written 592 Finder guides across topics including:

Superannuation
Savings accounts, bank accounts and term deposits
Budgeting and money-saving hacks
Managing the cost of living

More resources on Finder

Ask a question

Click here to cancel reply.

Display name

Your email (will not be published)

Your question

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms Of Service and Finder Group Privacy & Cookies Policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

156 Responses

SonnyJuly 31, 2016

Hi there,
My gross on ABN is $57,235 and I pay $1357 every quarter what the ATO wants from me without fail. Which calculates to a total of $5504 a year I also have $22,527.15 cents in receipts how much would I be looking at getting back from my tax return? And how much will I still have to pay? With also calculating what I’ve already paid quarterly??

Finder

ClarizzaAugust 1, 2016Finder

Hi Sonny,

Thanks for your question.

Based on your gross income you are liable to pay $10,148.38. Of this, you have paid $5,504, so you’re still liable to pay the difference of $4,644.34 to the tax office. However, you may be able to claim expenses, which means you may be able to get a refund.

If you would like to discuss your personal situation, we recommend you speak to an online tax agent.

Hope this helps.

Clarizza

WayneJuly 29, 2016

Hi there.
My gross income was $61,340 and $12,392 of tax is withheld.
I also have a private health fund which I pay about $40 per fortnight.
Can you please tell me roughly what I should get?
I have no dependants and am also single. Thanks.

Finder

MayJuly 29, 2016Finder

Hi Wayne,

Thanks for your inquiry.

Please note that you’ve come through to Finder.

After entering your income of $61,340 in the calculator above, it showed that your tax to be paid is $11,482.50. So to compute your tax refund, tax withheld of $12,392 less $11,482.50, should be $909.50. Your other financial circumstances and deductions are not yet accounted for in this result.

Please keep in mind that the result for the tax refund is not final and just an indication only and can be used as general advice.

You could also reach out to an online tax agent, so you can discuss your tax for your situation.

Cheers,
May

StressedJuly 28, 2016

Gross $58608, tax withheld $11994, refund approx $341 why so low?

Finder

MayJuly 28, 2016Finder

Hi There,

Thank you for your comment. You have come through to finder.com.au we are an Australian financial comparison website and general information service. We are not tax experts and thus we only provide a generalised advice.

I’ve entered your income of $58,608 in our calculator above and result showed that you are liable to pay tax approximately $10,594.60. So, with tax withheld of $11,994 less $10,594.60, your tax refund should be around $1,399.40. However, please note that this result does not take into account your other financial circumstances and deductions and should be used as indication only. So your final tax refund of $341 could be the result of after all other financial factors/deductions have been considered.

Cheers,
May

DonJuly 27, 2016

Hi. My taxable income is $28,000 with ABN. Could you tell me how much tax?
Thank you.

AnndyJuly 27, 2016

Hi Don,

Thanks for your question.

Using our tax calculator, if you have a gross income of $28,000 with ABN, your tax will be about $ 1,862.00

You could also speak to an online tax agent if you want to discuss the tax for your situation.

Cheers,
Anndy

MitchieJuly 25, 2016

I did my tax return for the first time this year, and it said I had $1.50 owing , which I have paid. But does that mean I won’t get back all the tax I payed ?

Finder

ClarizzaJuly 26, 2016Finder

Hi Mitchie,

Thanks for your question.

Based on this information, you won’t be receiving any tax refund as your employer paid the minimum for your salary and you have paid the amount owing.

If you would like to discuss your personal situation, we recommend you speak to an online tax agent.

Regards,
Clarizza

More guides on Finder

Online tax return via myGov vs using a tax agent
Lodging your tax return yourself online via myGov is free, but a professional tax agent can help you maximise your refund and save you time.
Tax and the gig economy: What you need to know
Mark Chapman goes through the tax requirements you need to know about if you're an Uber driver, Airbnb host or do other work in the gig economy.
Tax deductions: What can I claim on tax?
Here's what you can and can't claim in your tax return. See our checklist here and know what receipts you need to keep.
Tax return deadline: When is my tax return due?
Your tax return has a different deadline depending on which financial year you're filing for, and whether or not you're using a tax agent. See which tax return due date applies to you in this guide.
How to save money on tax in Australia
How does income tax work, and how can you save money on your next tax return? Find out in this handy guide.
Do you pay tax on savings account interest in Australia?
If you earn interest from a savings account, you need to pay tax on that interest at the same rate as the rest of your annual taxable income.
Cheap tax agents and tax accountants
Compare cheap tax agents and accountants that can help you lodge your tax return, claim more deductions and get you more tax back.
Tax and record keeping – how many years of receipts should I keep?
What records do you need to keep when it comes to your tax return and how long for?
Tax tips: How to get more tax return
We’ve put together a list of our best tips for boosting this year’s tax return. Maximise your tax refund today.

Income tax calculator

Use our simple tax calculator to see how much tax you'll pay for the 2024-25 financial year, and what your tax return may look like.