HECS-HELP repayment calculator
Free HECS-HELP repayment calculator. Models the 2024-25 ATO Schedule (rate-on-the-whole-of-income), the resident income-tax scale and the 2% Medicare levy. Sourced figures only.
Repayment income is taxable income plus reportable fringe benefits, reportable super contributions and net investment losses. For a wage earner with no investments, taxable income is a good approximation.
HECS-HELP band
3.5% of repayment income
Threshold $74,856 - $79,347
Annual compulsory repayment
$2,625
≈ $50 per week
Take-home pay (estimate)
Income tax $13,288 + Medicare levy $1,500 + HECS $2,625 = $17,413 per year.
$57,587 per year
About $1,107 per week.
Full 2024-25 HECS-HELP schedule
| From | To | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $54,435 | 0.0% |
| $54,435 | $62,851 | 1.0% |
| $62,851 | $66,621 | 2.0% |
| $66,621 | $70,619 | 2.5% |
| $70,619 | $74,856 | 3.0% |
| $74,856 | $79,347 | 3.5% |
| $79,347 | $84,108 | 4.0% |
| $84,108 | $89,155 | 4.5% |
| $89,155 | $94,504 | 5.0% |
| $94,504 | $100,175 | 5.5% |
| $100,175 | $106,186 | 6.0% |
| $106,186 | $112,557 | 6.5% |
| $112,557 | $119,310 | 7.0% |
| $119,310 | $126,468 | 7.5% |
| $126,468 | $134,057 | 8.0% |
| $134,057 | $142,101 | 8.5% |
| $142,101 | $150,627 | 9.0% |
| $150,627 | $159,664 | 9.5% |
| $159,664 | no upper limit | 10.0% |
How the maths works
Once your repayment income passes the lowest threshold, the ATO applies the relevant band's rate to your whole repayment income. Formally, if I is your repayment income and r(I) is the rate for the band that contains I:
The thresholds are reviewed each year. The calculator above uses the 2024-25 ATO Schedule. If you spot a discrepancy with the latest ATO release, please flag it; we keep the constants in source code so the change is auditable.
Frequently asked
- Is HECS a marginal rate?
- No. Australia applies the relevant band's rate to your whole repayment income, not just the amount above the threshold. A small pay rise that pushes you into a higher band can meaningfully increase your annual repayment.
- What is repayment income?
- Repayment income is taxable income plus reportable fringe benefits, reportable employer super contributions, net investment losses and exempt foreign employment income. For a typical wage earner with no investments, taxable income is a good approximation.
- Does this calculator include indexation?
- No. The calculator focuses on the annual compulsory repayment. Indexation of the outstanding balance happens once a year, on 1 June, at the lower of CPI and Wage Price Index growth. Indexation does not affect this year's compulsory repayment.
- Are the thresholds current?
- Yes. The calculator uses the 2024-25 ATO Schedule for HELP/VSL/SFSS repayment thresholds. The schedule is reviewed each year, so we keep an eye on the ATO release and update the constants in our source code when changes are published.