If a payslip shows a withheld amount that looks too high or too low, you need a quick way to sense check it before payroll can explain it. This PAYG calculator estimates the tax withheld from a single weekly, fortnightly or monthly pay, and the take-home pay left after withholding, using the pay amount and pay period you enter. It suits employees checking a first pay, a changed pay or an overtime heavy pay, and employers or payroll staff who want a fast indicative figure for one employee without opening a full payroll run. It is an estimate by design, and the page says so wherever the result appears. Every calculation runs in your browser on this device. Nothing you type is uploaded, sent to a server or stored, so pay details for you or for an employee stay on the machine in front of you.
How it works
You enter the gross pay for one period, choose whether that period is weekly, fortnightly or monthly, select the financial year, and choose whether to include the Medicare levy. The calculator then works in three steps, and each step can be checked by hand.
First, it annualises the pay. A weekly amount is multiplied by 52, a fortnightly amount by 26 and a monthly amount by 12, giving the annual income that pay level would produce if it continued all year. Second, it works out the annual income tax on that annualised amount using the Australian resident rates, and adds the Medicare levy at 2 percent of taxable income if you included it. Third, it divides the annual total back down by the same number of periods, giving estimated withholding for the single pay you entered. Subtract that from the gross pay and you have estimated take-home pay for the period.
The resident rates used for 2025-26 are: no tax on the first $18,200, 16 cents per dollar over $18,200 up to $45,000, $4,288 plus 30 cents per dollar over $45,000 up to $135,000, $31,288 plus 37 cents per dollar over $135,000 up to $190,000, and $51,638 plus 45 cents per dollar over $190,000.
The critical accuracy point is the method itself. This version does not use the ATO tax tables, and it does not use the ATO statement of formulas, known as NAT 1004. Employers are required to use those official tools, and they apply their own rounding and adjustments, including for the tax-free threshold claim and study debts. The annualised method here is a transparent approximation that lands close for a regular pay, which is why every result is labelled estimated withholding. A difference of a few dollars against a real payslip is expected behaviour, not an error, and any real difference across the year is reconciled when the tax return is lodged.
The financial year selector matters because rates change between years. The second bracket is 16 percent in 2025-26, then a legislated 15 percent in 2026-27 and 14 percent in 2027-28. Use the year the pay date falls in. The Australian financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June, so a pay in late June and a pay in early July can sit in different years with different rates.
This estimate assumes the tax-free threshold is claimed, which suits most people checking their main job. It does not include HELP debt repayments, tax offsets or salary sacrifice, and low income Medicare levy reductions are not applied, so treat low income results with extra care.
Worked example
Take gross pay of $3,000 for one fortnight in 2025-26, with the Medicare levy included.
| Step | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Annualise the pay | $3,000 x 26 | $78,000 a year |
| Annual income tax | $4,288 plus 30 percent of the amount over $45,000 ($78,000 – $45,000 = $33,000; 30 percent of that is $9,900) | $14,188 |
| Medicare levy | 2 percent of $78,000 | $1,560 |
| Total for the year | $14,188 + $1,560 | $15,748 |
| Estimated withholding per fortnight | $15,748 divided by 26 | $605.69 |
| Estimated take-home pay | $3,000 – $605.69 | $2,394.31 for that fortnight |
If your actual payslip for the same gross pay shows a slightly different withheld amount, that gap is the rounding and adjustment difference described above. A large gap, on the other hand, is worth a polite query to payroll, with this breakdown in hand.
Common questions
What is PAYG withholding?
Pay as you go (PAYG) withholding is the tax your employer takes out of each pay and sends to the ATO. It is not a separate tax: it is an advance collection of your income tax and Medicare levy, credited against your final tax bill when you lodge your return.
How does this calculator estimate the withholding?
It annualises the pay you enter, works out the income tax and Medicare levy on that annual amount using the ATO resident rates, then spreads the total evenly across your pays for the year.
Why might my actual withholding be a few dollars different?
Employers must use the ATO tax tables and the statement of formulas, which apply their own rounding and adjustments for things like the tax-free threshold claim and study debts. Those details can move the amount by a few dollars compared with this estimate, and any real difference is reconciled in your tax return.
What if I do not claim the tax-free threshold?
If you have more than one job, you usually claim the tax-free threshold from only one employer. Withholding from the other job is higher because no tax-free amount is allowed for. This calculator assumes the tax-free threshold is claimed, which suits most people checking their main job.
Does PAYG withholding include HELP debt repayments?
It can. If you have a HELP or similar study debt and your income passes the repayment threshold, your employer withholds extra amounts to cover the compulsory repayment. This version of the calculator does not include study debt amounts, so add that to your expectations if it applies to you.
Before you rely on this estimate
This calculator gives general information and estimated withholding only, based on the published ATO resident rates for the year you select. It is not financial, tax or legal advice, and it is not a substitute for the ATO tax tables employers must use. Read our Disclaimer before relying on any figure. For related checks, try the Pay Calculator for a full payslip style estimate, the Salary Calculator for annual take-home pay, or the Bonus Tax Calculator for a one-off payment.