Updated for 2026-27

HECS/HELP Repayment Calculator

See your compulsory HECS/HELP (STSL) study loan repayment for the 2026-27 financial year and how it changes your take-home pay under the new marginal system.

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Australian Take-Home Pay Calculator 2026-27

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Disclaimer: This calculator provides general estimates, not personal tax or financial advice. Figures use published ATO rates for 2026-27 and may not match your exact situation, offsets or deductions. Do not act on these results alone. For official guidance, visit the ATO, or speak to a registered tax agent.

In 2026-27 you repay nothing on a HECS/HELP debt at or below $69,528. Above that, you repay only on the income over the threshold. On a $90,000 salary with a HELP debt, the repayment is $3,071 for the year, dropping take-home from $70,680 to about $67,609.

2026-27 HELP Repayment Rates

Under the new marginal system you repay only on income above the $69,528 threshold, not on your whole salary.

Repayment incomeRateRepayment on this income
$0 – $69,5280%Nil (minimum threshold)
$69,529 – $129,71715c15c per $1 above $69,528
$129,718 – $186,05117c$9,028 + 17c per $1 above $129,717
$186,051 +10%10% of your whole repayment income

STSL covers HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, VET, SFSS and other study and training loans combined. The minimum threshold rose from $67,000 in 2025-26 to $69,528 for 2026-27. Source: Australian Taxation Office.

How HECS/HELP Repayments Work

From 2026-27 Australia uses a new marginal repayment system. You do not repay a percentage of your whole salary. Instead, you repay only on the income above the minimum threshold, so a small pay rise no longer pushes your entire income into a higher repayment rate. The full mechanics are in our guide to how HECS-HELP repayments work, and every band is listed in the HELP thresholds 2026-27 table.

Worked example, $90,000 salary with a HELP debt:

Your repayment income is above the $69,528 threshold but below $129,717, so the rate is 15c per $1 over the threshold. The repayment is (90,000 - 69,528) x 15% = $3,071 for the year. That comes out alongside your income tax and Medicare levy.

The $3,071 repayment drops your take-home from $70,680 (no HELP) to about $67,609. On a $100,000 salary the repayment is (100,000 - 69,528) x 15% = $4,571, leaving take-home about $72,909.

Use the calculator above to see your own repayment, or for anything else use the calculator above.

$90,000 Salary With a HELP Debt

Take-home pay$67,609
Income tax$17,520
Medicare levy$1,800
HELP repayment$3,071

Related Calculators

Break your pay down further.

Take-Home Pay

Your full net pay after every deduction

Income Tax

The income tax on your salary for 2026-27

Medicare Levy

The 2% levy and low-income reduction

Superannuation

The 12% super paid on top of your salary

HECS/HELP Repayment FAQ

Common questions about compulsory study loan repayments.

Compulsory repayments start once your repayment income is above the minimum threshold of $69,528 for 2026-27. At or below $69,528 you pay nothing. Above it, you repay 15c per $1 over the threshold until $129,717, then higher rates apply.
Yes. If you tell your employer you have a study loan, they withhold extra tax from each pay to cover your expected annual repayment. It is reconciled when you lodge your tax return, and the actual repayment is applied to your loan then.
From 2026-27 you repay only on the income above the threshold, not on your whole salary. Below $129,717 the rate is 15c per $1 above $69,528. From $129,718 to $186,051 it is $9,028 plus 17c per $1 above $129,717. At $186,051 and above it is 10% of your whole repayment income.
Yes. The compulsory repayment is withheld alongside income tax and the Medicare levy, so it reduces your take-home pay. On a $90,000 salary with a HELP debt the $3,071 repayment drops take-home from $70,680 to about $67,609.

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