HELP / HECS Repayment Calculator Australia 2026
Estimate compulsory HELP / HECS study-loan repayments above $69,528, compare 2026–27 with prior years, and see take-home impact through the top band from $186,051.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
Calculate HELP / HECS repayment (AUD)
Enter ATO repayment income, pick a financial year, and review annual HELP, effective %, and take-home impact — results update instantly.
Your inputs
Repayment income & tax year
ATO repayment income — taxable income plus reportable fringe benefits, net investment losses, reportable super, and exempt foreign employment income.
Models compulsory HELP / HECS / study-loan repayments only. Does not include voluntary repayments, loan indexation, or remaining debt balance.
Annual HELP / HECS
2026–27 (current)$4,570.80
$69,529 – $129,717: 15c per $1 over $69,528
- •ATO 2026–27 study and training loan schedule (marginal rates).
- •Compulsory repayment $4,571 on repayment income $100,000.
- •Repayment income is taxable income plus reportable fringe benefits, net investment losses, reportable super contributions, and exempt foreign employment income (ATO). This tool accepts a single repayment-income figure.
- •Take-home impact uses resident income tax + Medicare levy with private hospital cover (MLS $0), then subtracts HELP — same PAYG engine as the Australia tax calculator for non-HELP components.
Compulsory repayment thresholds and take-home impact (2026–27).
Compulsory HELP / HECS / study-loan repayments above come from the repayment income and financial year you select — not a live ATO feed. Marginal schedules for 2026–27 and 2025–26 and the legacy 2024–25 flat-% table match published ATO study and training loan thresholds. Take-home impact subtracts the HELP repayment from resident PAYG + Medicare (with private hospital cover). Below are the formulas, steps, and worked examples from the same engine as the live calculator.
Worked example — $100,000 repayment income
2026–27 schedule · $69,529 – $129,717: 15c per $1 over $69,528
| Repayment income | $100,000 |
| HELP / HECS | $4,571 |
| Effective rate | 4.57% |
| Take-home with HELP | $72,909 |
| Take-home impact | $4,571 |
ATO-style example — $86,380
Marginal 2026–27 illustration from published thresholds.
| Repayment income | $86,380 |
| HELP / HECS | $2,528 |
| Band | $69,529 – $129,717: 15c per $1 over $69,528 |
| Weekly | $49 |
2026–27 threshold bands
| Repayment income | Rate / formula |
|---|---|
| $0 – $69,528 | Nil |
| $69,529 – $129,717 | 15c per $1 over $69,528 |
| $129,718 – $186,050 | $9,028 + 17c per $1 over $129,717 |
| $186,051 and over | 10% of total repayment income |
Formulas
- Nil band (2026–27): If repayment income ≤ $69,528 → repayment = $0
- First marginal band (2026–27): If income is above $69,528 and at or below $129,717 → (income − $69,528) × 15%
- Second marginal band (2026–27): If income is above $129,717 and below $186,051 → $9,028 + (income − $129,717) × 17%
- Top band (2026–27): If income ≥ $186,051 → income × 10%
- Legacy flat % (2024–25): Repayment = repayment income × published flat rate % for that income band (ATO Table 3)
- Take-home impact: Take-home with HELP ≈ resident take-home (income tax + Medicare, MLS $0) − HELP repayment
- Rounding: AUD amounts rounded to the nearest cent (2 decimal places)
Same engine as the live calculator.
Calculation steps
- Enter repayment incomeATO repayment income (AUD annual)
Usually taxable income plus reportable fringe benefits, net investment losses, reportable super contributions, and exempt foreign employment income.
- Choose the financial year2026–27 · 2025–26 · 2024–25
From 2025–26 onwards the ATO uses marginal rates. 2024–25 and earlier apply a flat percentage to total repayment income.
- Apply the published scheduleNil / marginal band / top 10% / or legacy flat %
Compulsory repayment is calculated from the selected year’s ATO table.
- Estimate take-home impactResident PAYG take-home − HELP
Shows how much lower annual take-home is once HELP is withheld, using the same PAYG engine as the Australia tax calculator for non-HELP tax.
Key takeaways — Australia HELP / HECS
- 2026–27 nil threshold is $69,528 — at or below that, compulsory HELP is $0.
- From 2025–26 onwards repayments are marginal (only on income above each band), not a flat % of all income.
- At $100,000 repayment income (2026–27): HELP ≈ $4,570.80 (4.57% effective).
- At $150,000: HELP ≈ $12,476.11; at $200,000: ≈ $20,000.00 (top-band 10% once income reaches $186,051).
- Take-home impact shows resident PAYG after tax minus HELP — switch years to compare 2025–26 or legacy 2024–25.
Marginal HELP, effective rate, and take-home
Same engine as the live calculator. At $100,000: HELP $4,571 (4.57% effective).
Repay only on income above each threshold — not a flat % of everything
$86,380 → $2,527.80 (ATO 2026–27 worked example)
Effective % = HELP ÷ repayment income
At $100,000: $4,570.80 → 4.57% effective
Take-home with HELP ≈ resident take-home − HELP
$100,000: $77,480.00 → $72,909.20
What is HELP / HECS?
HELP (Higher Education Loan Program) is Australia’s income-contingent student loan system. People still search for HECS — the older name — but compulsory repayments use the same ATO study and training loan thresholds for HELP, VET Student Loans, and related schemes.
You start making compulsory repayments when your repayment income exceeds the nil threshold for the year ($69,528 in 2026–27). Employers may withhold HELP through PAYG during the year.
Why 2025–26 changed everything
From 2025–26 the ATO moved to marginal rates: you repay only on the slice of income above each threshold. Before that (including 2024–25), a single flat percentage applied to your entire repayment income once you crossed a band.
Example at $100,000: 2026–27 repayment $4,570.80; same income under 2025–26 was $4,950.00. Under 2024–25 flat rates, $99,736 repaid $5,485.48 at 5.5% (exact $99,736 × 5.5%).
What counts as repayment income?
ATO repayment income is taxable income (excluding assessable First Home Super Saver released amounts) plus reportable fringe benefits, total net investment loss (including rental losses), reportable super contributions, and exempt foreign employment income.
Enter that combined figure here. If you only know salary, treat it as a proxy and adjust for fringe benefits or reportable super if they apply.
How take-home impact is modelled
We estimate resident income tax and Medicare levy with private hospital cover (so Medicare levy surcharge is $0), then subtract HELP. At $100,000, take-home without HELP is about $77,480.00; with HELP it is about $72,909.20 (impact $4,570.80).
Your payslip may also show voluntary repayments or different MLS / salary-sacrifice settings — use the Australia paycheck calculator for a full PAYG breakdown.
HELP / HECS threshold facts
Sourced from ATO study and training loan repayment thresholds and rates.
| 2026–27 nil threshold | $69,528 (ATO current year) |
| 2026–27 top band | $186,051+ at 10% of total repayment income |
| 2025–26 nil threshold | $67,000 |
| 2024–25 nil threshold (legacy) | $54,434 |
2026–27 repayment thresholds
Marginal schedule — repay only on income above each band (top band is % of total repayment income).
| Repayment income | Rate / formula |
|---|---|
| $0 – $69,528 | Nil |
| $69,529 – $129,717 | 15c per $1 over $69,528 |
| $129,718 – $186,050 | $9,028 + 17c per $1 over $129,717 |
| $186,051 and over | 10% of total repayment income |
HELP on common repayment incomes
Engine-sourced ladder for 2026–27. Open an amount page for a dedicated FAQ.
Myths vs facts
HECS and HELP use different repayment rates.
Compulsory repayments use one ATO study and training loan schedule for HELP, VSL, SFSS, SSL, and AASL. Multiple loans are repaid in a fixed ATO priority order from the same calculation.
You always repay 10% of your salary once you hit the threshold.
Only the top band uses 10% of total repayment income (from $186,051 in 2026–27). Lower bands use 15c or 17c on the excess only.
The old flat % schedule still applies.
Flat % of total repayment income applied for 2024–25 and earlier. From 2025–26 the ATO uses the marginal system — select 2024–25 in this calculator only for historical comparisons.
Salary alone is always your repayment income.
ATO repayment income can include reportable fringe benefits, net investment losses, reportable super contributions, and exempt foreign employment income on top of taxable income.
Glossary
- HELP
- Higher Education Loan Program — Australia’s main income-contingent tertiary loan. Compulsory repayments follow ATO study-loan thresholds.
- HECS
- Older name still used in search and conversation; repayments are assessed under the same HELP / study-loan rules.
- Repayment income
- ATO measure used for compulsory repayments: taxable income plus certain fringe benefits, losses, reportable super, and exempt foreign employment income.
- Marginal rates
- From 2025–26: repayment is calculated only on income above each threshold (15c / 17c), with a top band at 10% of total income.
- Nil threshold
- The repayment income at or below which compulsory repayment is $0 — $69,528 for 2026–27.
- Effective rate
- HELP repayment divided by repayment income — useful for comparing years and incomes.
Common HELP planning mistakes
Who this helps
Checklist before you budget for HELP
- Confirm which financial year’s ATO schedule applies to your assessment.
- Build repayment income from the ATO components — not just base salary if extras apply.
- Check whether your employer is withholding HELP on the TFN declaration.
- Compare take-home with and without HELP before budgeting.
- Review voluntary repayment and indexation options separately on ato.gov.au.
Amount pages
Related tools
- Australia tax calculator — Full PAYG with HELP toggle
- Net to gross Australia — Gross needed for a take-home target
- Superannuation Australia — SG, concessional cap & Div 293
- Sole trader Australia — Turnover, tax & HELP
- GST calculator Australia — 10% GST add/remove
- Tax insights Australia — State living-cost context
Limitations
Does not model voluntary repayments, loan indexation, remaining debt, overseas levy, or which loan type is paid first. Take-home uses a simplified resident scenario (private hospital cover). For full PAYG see Australia tax calculator; for gross-up see net to gross Australia; for super see superannuation calculator Australia; for sole traders see sole trader calculator Australia; for GST see GST calculator Australia.
Australia HELP / HECS repayment FAQ
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