Payroll withholding estimate
Estimate tax withheld from Australian weekly, fortnightly or monthly pay. Use it for PAYG planning, not final tax-return outcomes or employer payroll instructions.
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026.
PAYG withholding is the tax amount withheld from salary or wages during the year. This estimate annualises the pay amount you enter, estimates annual tax and levies, then converts that amount back to the selected pay cycle.
For annual tax liability use the Tax Calculator Australia. For full salary and super modelling use the Australian Salary Calculator.
Estimated withholding for a pay cycle = annualised gross pay tax estimate / pay cycles per year. The tax estimate includes resident income tax, Medicare levy and optional HELP repayment.
Worked example: $2,500 weekly gross pay annualises to $130,000. In 2025-26, the calculator estimates about $29,788 income tax and $2,600 Medicare levy, or about $623 withheld per week before HELP.
This is not an official payroll instruction. Employers should use ATO tax tables and declarations for actual withholding.
Employers should rely on ATO withholding guidance, not this estimate. Start with the ATO tax withheld calculator and ATO tax tables.
Withholding is collected before the ATO knows your full-year deductions, multiple jobs, reportable benefits, family Medicare position or final taxable income.
No. Extra amounts withheld for HELP are reconciled when your tax return is assessed.