FY2025–26 · Free · No TFN Required

Tax Return Calculator 2026

Calculate your tax refund, estimate your tax return, and see what you could get back — before you lodge anything.

Quick answer: Enter your income and tax withheld below and Tax Falcon's calculator will estimate your tax refund in about 60 seconds. It's free, doesn't ask for your TFN, and works whether you're salaried, casual, or running your own business.

Built on the current 2025–26 ATO tax brackets
Takes about 60 seconds, no account needed
Works for salary, casual, and sole trader income

Estimate your tax refund (calculator tool) — FY 2025–26

(This is an interactive calculator widget. Below is the on-page text, field labels, and options exactly as they appear.)

Input Fields

Gross annual income — placeholder example: 85,000
Total tax withheld — placeholder example: 19,500 · hint: "From your income statement or final payslip" · button: "Calculate PAYG for me"

Work-related deductions (optional — sharpens your estimate)

Occupation dropdown label: “Your occupation” — default option: “Select for tailored tips (optional)”. Full list of occupations offered:

Apprentices and trainees
Building and construction employees
Call centre operators
Cleaners
Community support workers and direct carers
Doctor, specialist or other medical professional
Engineers
Factory workers
Hairdressers and beauty professionals
Hospitality industry employees
IT professionals
Lawyers
Meat workers
Media professionals
Nurses and midwives
Office workers
Real estate employees
Retail industry workers
Sales and marketing
Teachers and education professionals
Tradesperson
Fitness and sporting industry employees
Adult industry workers
Agricultural workers
Australian Defence Force members
Bus drivers
Fire fighters
Flight attendant
Gaming attendants
Guards and security employees
Mining site employees
Paramedics
Performing artists
Pilots
Police
Professional sportsperson
Recruitment consultants
Train drivers
Travel agent employees
Truck drivers

Deduction Category Fields (ATO labels)

D1 — Car expenses
D2 — Travel expenses
D3 — Clothing & laundry
D4 — Self-education
D5 — Working from home
D5 — Other work expenses (page labels this D5 as well — appears to duplicate the code used for “Working from home”)
D9 — Gifts & donations
D10 — Managing tax affairs

Total row label: “Total work-related deductions”

Button: “Calculate My Tax Refund”

Result Panel (dynamic — default/empty state shown)

Result label: “Your tax return estimate”
Result sub-copy: “Enter your income and tax withheld to calculate your tax refund.”
Breakdown rows: Taxable income · Income tax · Medicare levy (2%) · Total tax withheld · Estimated refund / Estimated amount owing

Register Prompt (shown once a calculation is entered)

Like what you see? Register to get your exact refund confirmed by a registered tax agent.

Calculator Disclaimer (legal text)

Estimate only, for the 2025–26 financial year (1 July 2025 – 30 June 2026). Assumes Australian tax residency and a standard 2% Medicare levy — this calculator doesn't include HECS/HELP repayments, the Medicare Levy Surcharge, low-income levy reductions, Division 293 tax, SAPTO, or Centrelink offsets. Cross-checked against current ATO rates by Tax Falcon's tax team — for your exact figure, speak with a registered tax agent or visit ato.gov.au.

How it works

Three steps to your tax return estimate

Whether you're salaried, casual, or flying solo as a sole trader, here's how to estimate your tax return with Tax Falcon.

1 — File your flight plan

Enter your gross income and total tax withheld — the two numbers sitting front and centre on your income statement.

2 — Check your instruments

Add your work-related deductions by ATO category to sharpen your tax refund estimate. This step's optional, but worth it.

3 — Clear for landing

Like what you see? Register with Tax Falcon and a registered agent will get your actual refund lodged in about 10 minutes flat.

Why this estimate holds up

More than a guess dressed up as a number

Plenty of tax refund calculators just multiply and subtract. Here's what backs up this one.

ATO-aligned rates

Built on the individual income tax thresholds for the current financial year, updated whenever the ATO moves them.

AI-assisted deduction finder

Once you register, our system flags deductions people in your line of work commonly forget to claim.

Agent-reviewed, not just automated

A registered tax agent checks every return before it's lodged. This calculator is the estimate — not the final word.

Maximum refund guarantee

If a registered agent could have found you a bigger refund elsewhere, we'll credit you the difference.

Worked example

See a tax return estimate example

Here's how the calculator works out a tax refund estimate for a straightforward salaried return — the same method your own numbers run through above.

Annual income of $85,000, $19,500 tax withheld, and $1,200 in work-related deductions — no HECS/HELP debt.

2025–26 tax return estimate — example

Gross income

$85,000

Deductions

–$1,200

Taxable income

$83,800

Income tax

$15,928

Medicare levy (2%)

$1,676

Tax withheld

$19,500

Estimated refund

$1,896

Illustrative example only — figures based on FY2025–26 individual tax rates.

Frequently asked questions

Tax return calculator FAQs

How do I calculate my tax refund with Tax Falcon's calculator?

Enter your gross income and the tax withheld from your payslips or income statement, and the calculator instantly estimates your refund using current ATO tax rates. Add your work-related deductions by category for a sharper tax return estimate.

How accurate is a free tax return calculator?

A tax return calculator gives you a solid ballpark, but it's only as accurate as the numbers you enter and how many parts of your situation it accounts for. Tax Falcon's calculator factors in itemised work-related deductions across the main ATO categories — but your final refund is confirmed once a registered tax agent reviews your actual return.

What do I need to estimate my tax return online?

You'll need your gross income for the financial year and the total tax withheld by your employer — both are on your income statement or final payslip. Adding your work-related deductions by category will sharpen your tax refund estimate further.

When can I lodge my 2025–26 tax return?

You can lodge your 2025–26 tax return from 1 July 2026, once the financial year ends on 30 June 2026. If you're lodging yourself, the deadline is 31 October 2026 — lodging through a registered tax agent like Tax Falcon can extend that deadline.

Why is my tax refund estimate different from what I actually get back?

Your final refund depends on details a calculator can't always capture — like private health cover, government payments, or the Medicare Levy Surcharge. That's why every Tax Falcon return gets checked by a registered tax agent before it's lodged, so your actual refund lines up with your estimate.

Byline (legal text): Estimates cross-checked against current ATO rates for FY2025–26 by Arthur Sterling, Tax Falcon's Head of Tax Education.

Turn your estimate into a real refund

This calculator gives you a tax return estimate in under a minute. Ready for the real number? Register with Tax Falcon and a registered agent will have it lodged in about 10 minutes.

From $88 standard returns · from $229 for investors · maximum refund guarantee