Net-to-gross (or 'reverse tax') calculations estimate the salary you need to take home a specific amount each week, fortnight, month, or year. Many workers use this when budgeting or negotiating a raise.
Why it’s tricky: Australia’s progressive tax brackets and Medicare levy make reverse calculations less intuitive because each extra dollar is taxed at increasing marginal rates.
How employers handle net-to-gross: Payroll systems calculate PAYG withholding per cycle, not manually. This calculator keeps it simple and does not model full ATO withholding tables.
Tax-free threshold impact: Claiming or not claiming the threshold drastically changes the required gross income to reach a desired net figure.
HELP/HECS, salary sacrifice, and employer deductions may also affect real-world results, even though this simplified model does not include them.
Call to action: A future version of this site will include a net-to-gross tool. For now, use the main calculator to experiment by adjusting hourly or salary inputs.