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PAYG tax tables simplified

A beginner-friendly explanation of ATO PAYG withholding tables and how employers calculate the tax withheld from your pay.


PAYG withholding tables determine how much tax your employer deducts each pay cycle. They are designed to approximate your end-of-year tax bill so you don’t owe a large amount at tax time.

Tables vary by pay frequency: The ATO publishes weekly, fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, and annual tables.

Tax-free threshold impact: Tables differ depending on whether you claim the threshold or not. Withholding is significantly lower at your primary job.

HELP/HECS and other adjustments: Employers must add extra withholding when you declare a HELP debt on your TFN form.

Why this site doesn't use PAYG tables: The calculators here use simplified tax bracket maths to give an easy-to-understand estimate. PAYG withholding may differ slightly due to rounding and ATO-specific formulas.

Call to action: Use this site to estimate take-home pay, then compare with your payslip to understand PAYG withholding differences.

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