Tax Refund Estimate Calculator
Estimate whether you are due an Australian tax refund or owe more by comparing tax already withheld against your estimated tax payable.
Your results
Calculation breakdown
- Tax payable
- Tax payable = resident bracket tax on taxable income + Medicare levy
- Refund/owing
- Refund = tax withheld − tax payable (negative means owing)
Worked example
With $78,000 taxable income and $17,000 already withheld through the year, estimated tax payable is about $15,480, suggesting a refund of roughly $1,520.
Assumptions
- Excludes offsets, HELP repayments and other levies that can change the actual result.
- Assumes all withheld tax relates to this taxable income.
How this calculator works
Enter your annual taxable income and the total PAYG tax already withheld to estimate whether you will receive a refund or owe additional tax at year end. It calculates tax payable using resident tax brackets plus the Medicare levy and compares this with your withholding.
Rates sourced from the Australian Taxation Office for the 2026–27 financial year. Last reviewed 14/08/2026.
Frequently asked questions
Why might my actual refund differ from this estimate?
Actual refunds also depend on offsets, deductions, HELP debt repayments and other levies not modelled in this simplified estimate.
What if I owe more tax than was withheld?
The calculator will show a shortfall amount, meaning your withholding during the year was lower than your total tax liability.
Does this include the Medicare levy?
Yes, the standard 2% Medicare levy is included in the tax payable used for this comparison.
Editorial review and responsibility
Reviewed by the CalcAussie editorial team on 21 September 2026. Review scope: Method, Australian terminology, material assumptions, source links and user-facing limitations.
Calculator results remain estimates based on the figures entered. Check material decisions against current official information and report a suspected error so it can be reproduced and corrected.
Rates and thresholds are configured for the 2026–27 Australian financial year and should be reviewed when government settings change.