HECS-HELP Repayment Calculator (2025–26)
Compulsory HELP repayments under the new marginal system — 15% above $67,000 and 17% above $125,000 — per year and per pay, years to clear your debt with indexation, and the effect of voluntary payments.
How it works
repayment = 15% × (income − $67,000) up to $125,000, then $8,700 + 17% × (income − $125,000); debt indexed each 1 June by the lower of CPI and wage growth
From 2025–26 HELP repayments switched to a marginal system: nothing below $67,000, then 15 cents of each dollar above it, rising to 17 cents above $125,000 — so a pay rise no longer triggers a jump in the whole repayment as it did under the old percentage-of-total-income tables. Debts carry no interest but are indexed each June; since 2023 the index is the lower of CPI and wage growth. Employers withhold the repayment through the year and the ATO applies it against the balance after your return.
Worked example
$85,000: 15% × $18,000 = $2,700 a year ($104 a fortnight), versus $3,400 under the old 4% table. A $32,000 debt at 3.2% indexation with 3% pay rises clears in about 9 years.
Frequently asked questions
Should I make voluntary repayments?
Only if you would otherwise hold cash earning less than indexation; paying before 1 June avoids that year’s indexation on the amount.
Does HELP debt affect my mortgage?
Lenders count the repayment as a reduction in income, lowering borrowing capacity by tens of thousands.
Related calculators
Uses 2025–26 Australian rates and thresholds (residents). Figures change each July — confirm with the ATO, your state revenue office or a registered tax agent. Educational estimate, not tax advice.