PAYG · rank #1
About $43,730.00 cash take-home on A$50k after $6,270.00 tax + Medicare; package $49,730.00 (PAYG withholding each payday).
On $50,000 employment gross (2026–27 resident), an employee models about $43,730.00 cash take-home (same tax + Medicare as sole trader) plus employer Super Guarantee $6,000.00 — package ≈ $49,730.00.
Same gross treated as employment income — PAYG withholding each payday, plus employer Super Guarantee at 12% on ordinary time earnings (ATO).
Employer Super Guarantee at 12% of gross is paid on top of salary — not deducted from take-home cash on this hub.
On $50,000 employment gross (2026–27 resident), an employee models about $43,730.00 cash take-home (same tax + Medicare as sole trader) plus employer Super Guarantee $6,000.00 — package ≈ $49,730.00.
Income tax $5,270.00; Medicare $1,000.00; total $6,270.00.
Cash take-home $43,730.00; employer SG $6,000.00; package $49,730.00 (effective 12.54% tax+Medicare on profit/gross).
Employee timing: deductions usually each payday under PAYG withholding.
The ladder recomputes both paths from A$20k to A$100k with the same equal-profit assumption.
GST registration is flagged when profit ≥ $75,000 on this expenses=0 vignette.
Rank
#1
Take-home
$43,730.00
Income tax
$5,270.00
Medicare
$1,000.00
Employer SG
$6,000.00
Package
$49,730.00
Effective 12.54% tax+Medicare. Timing: PAYG withholding each payday. Same gross treated as employment income — PAYG withholding each payday, plus employer Super Guarantee at 12% on ordinary time earnings (ATO).
| Profit / gross | Income tax | Medicare | SG | Take-home | GST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20,000 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2,400.00 | $20,000.00 | — |
| $30,000 | $1,070.00 | $198.90 | $3,600.00 | $28,731.10 | — |
| $40,000 | $2,695.00 | $800.00 | $4,800.00 | $36,505.00 | — |
| $50,000 | $5,270.00 | $1,000.00 | $6,000.00 | $43,730.00 | — |
| $60,000 | $8,420.00 | $1,200.00 | $7,200.00 | $50,380.00 | — |
| $80,000 | $14,520.00 | $1,600.00 | $9,600.00 | $63,880.00 | ≥$75,000 |
| $100,000 | $20,520.00 | $2,000.00 | $12,000.00 | $77,480.00 | ≥$75,000 |
“Sole traders always take home less cash than employees.”
On this A$50k vignette cash take-home ties at $43,730.00 — income tax and Medicare match. The employee’s advantage is employer Super Guarantee in the package ($49,730.00 vs $43,730.00).
“Employer Super comes out of my take-home pay.”
On this hub, employer SG is modelled on top of gross — it raises total package without reducing the cash take-home column. (Salary packaging / salary sacrifice is a different choice and is excluded.)
“Sole traders never deal with GST under A$100k.”
ATO GST registration generally applies from $75,000 GST turnover — not A$100k. This vignette flags likelihood when profit ≥ that threshold (expenses = 0).
“PAYG instalments are the same as employee withholding.”
Employees usually have PAYG withholding each payday. Sole traders may pay PAYG instalments (often quarterly) toward an expected annual bill — different cash-flow timing even when the annual tax maths match.
“Company structures and expenses don’t matter.”
They can change the commercial result a lot. This hub excludes companies, trusts, deductible expenses, HELP, MLS, and PHI so the equal-profit tax + SG comparison stays readable.
With identical resident taxable income and no HELP/MLS/expenses, income tax and Medicare match — useful for isolating Super Guarantee and timing.
Cash take-home can tie while total package diverges because employer SG sits outside the paycheck.
PAYG withholding spreads collections; PAYG instalments can concentrate sole-trader cash outflows even when the annual bill matches employment.
Registration likelihood from $75,000 turnover is flagged — collected/remitted GST dollars are not modelled.
If PAYG instalments apply, plan quarterly cash — not only an annual balancing payment after lodgement.
Without employer SG, consider how you will save for retirement; personal contributions have their own rules (not modelled here).
Track GST turnover toward $75,000 — registration changes invoicing and compliance even when this hub does not model GST amounts.
ATO pages and this hub do not replace a registered tax agent for contractor structuring.
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By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026