Australian HECS/HELP Repayment Calculator
See when your HECS/HELP debt could be paid off, and how indexation and voluntary repayments could change that date.
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You will need: HELP debt balance, annual income.
Your figures
Your debt and income
Your HECS/HELP balance and annual repayment income.
From myGov or the ATO. Balances already include the one-off 20% reduction applied in 2025.
Enter your repayment income. Start with taxable income excluding assessable First Home Super Saver releases, then add any reportable fringe benefits, reportable super contributions, total net investment losses and exempt foreign employment income. The calculator uses the amount you enter.
Enter any extra repayment amount and how often you plan to pay it.
Assumed: the ATO receives the repayment before indexation on 1 June. Allow a few business days for processing.
Change these if you expect indexation or your pay to move differently.
Indexation is the lower of CPI and WPI, announced each year before it applies on 1 June (2.8% in 2026). Salary growth also indexes the repayment thresholds, which track average earnings.
Projected with 2.8% indexation each 1 June and 3% salary growth.
Estimates only, not financial advice. The projection assumes your income grows steadily, thresholds index with wages, and the indexation rate holds; real years will differ. Amounts withheld from pay are only credited to your loan after you lodge your tax return, so indexation each 1 June applies before that year's repayment is credited. If you are exempt from the Medicare levy due to low family income, no compulsory repayment applies. Overseas debtors must also report worldwide income to the ATO.
Your result
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Frequently asked questions
How is my compulsory HECS/HELP repayment worked out?
From 1 July 2025 repayments are marginal, like income tax. For 2026-27 you repay nothing on repayment income up to $69,528, 15 cents per dollar between $69,529 and $129,717, and 17 cents per dollar above that. From $186,051 the repayment is 10% of your whole repayment income. It is never more than your remaining debt.
When does indexation apply to my HECS/HELP debt?
On 1 June each year. The ATO indexes debts that have been unpaid for more than 11 months, at the lower of the Consumer Price Index and the Wage Price Index, announced earlier in the year (2.8% on 1 June 2026). Indexation is not interest, but for projections it behaves the same way.
Do the HECS/HELP amounts taken from my pay reduce my debt straight away?
No. Amounts withheld from your pay sit as withheld tax and are only credited to your loan as a lump sum after you lodge your tax return. So indexation on 1 June applies to your balance before that year's repayments are credited, which is why your debt shrinks slower than the withholding suggests.
Should I make a voluntary HECS/HELP repayment before 1 June?
If the ATO receives and processes it before 1 June, a voluntary repayment reduces your balance before indexation applies, so you save the indexation on that amount. Allow a few business days for processing. Voluntary repayments are not refundable and do not reduce that year's compulsory repayment, so avoid overpaying when you are close to clearing the debt.
Has the 20% HECS/HELP debt cut been applied to my balance?
Yes. The one-off 20% reduction was applied automatically to balances as at 1 June 2025, before that year's indexation, and processing is complete. The balance you see in myGov already includes it. Because it was a one-off, this calculator does not project any future reductions.
What income is used to work out my HECS/HELP repayment?
Your repayment income. That is your taxable income plus reportable fringe benefits, reportable super contributions such as salary sacrifice, net investment losses and exempt foreign employment income. Salary sacrificing into super does not reduce your HECS/HELP repayment. If you are exempt from the Medicare levy due to low family income, no compulsory repayment applies that year.