HELP Repayments Under the New System: What Each Extra Dollar Costs
Since 2025-26 HELP is repaid only on income above the threshold. The combined tax, Medicare and HELP rate on an extra $1,000 at seven incomes.
By the MoneyBackKit AU team · Updated 28 October 2026 · 2 min read
Since 2025-26, HELP repayments are worked out only on income above the threshold ($69,528 in 2026-27), instead of a percentage of your whole income. That removed the old cliffs where a small raise could cost you money. But it means that, in the repayment band, each extra dollar loses more than tax alone.
How much of each extra $1,000 goes
| Income | Tax + Medicare | With HELP | HELP repaid in the year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | 34% | 34% | $0 |
| $72,000 | 32% | 47% | $371 |
| $90,000 | 32% | 47% | $3,071 |
| $125,000 | 32% | 47% | $8,321 |
| $140,000 | 39% | 56% | $10,776 |
| $180,000 | 39% | 56% | $17,576 |
| $200,000 | 47% | 57% | $20,000 |
The bands
- Up to $69,528: no HELP repayment.
- $69,528 to $129,717: 15 cents in each dollar above the threshold.
- $129,717 to $186,050: 17 cents in each dollar above that line.
- From $186,050: 10% of your whole repayment income, so the extra-dollar rate falls back to 10%.
At $90,000 someone with a HELP debt loses 47 cents of each extra dollar, and at $140,000 56 cents. From $186,050 the HELP part drops to 10 cents.
HELP / HECS Repayment Calculator 2026-27Work out your HELP repayment.