Fortnightly Tax Table Lookup — Check Your Withholding Instantly
Enter your gross fortnightly pay to see the PAYG amount that should be withheld this financial year, including the study loan (STSL) component if you have a HECS-HELP debt.
Your fortnightly withholding
Annual equivalent: $78,000 gross. See the full annual breakdown
Fortnightly Tax Table 2026-27
The table below shows PAYG withholding for common fortnightly earnings under the 2026-27 resident rates: claiming the tax-free threshold, claiming it with a study loan, and not claiming it (typical for a second job). Australia's most common pay cycle is fortnightly — 26 pays a year.
| Fortnightly Gross | Withheld (Tax-Free Threshold) | Withheld (TFT + STSL) | Withheld (No TFT) | Take-Home (TFT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $600 | $0 | $0 | $90 | $600 |
| $800 | $0 | $0 | $120 | $800 |
| $1,000 | $18 | $18 | $150 | $982 |
| $1,200 | $63 | $63 | $221 | $1,137 |
| $1,400 | $106 | $106 | $293 | $1,294 |
| $1,600 | $148 | $148 | $357 | $1,452 |
| $1,800 | $200 | $200 | $421 | $1,600 |
| $2,000 | $267 | $267 | $485 | $1,733 |
| $2,200 | $334 | $334 | $549 | $1,866 |
| $2,400 | $401 | $401 | $613 | $1,999 |
| $2,600 | $467 | $470 | $677 | $2,133 |
| $2,800 | $531 | $564 | $741 | $2,269 |
| $3,000 | $595 | $658 | $805 | $2,405 |
| $3,200 | $659 | $752 | $869 | $2,541 |
| $3,400 | $723 | $846 | $933 | $2,677 |
| $3,600 | $787 | $940 | $997 | $2,813 |
| $3,800 | $851 | $1,034 | $1,061 | $2,949 |
| $4,000 | $915 | $1,128 | $1,125 | $3,085 |
| $4,400 | $1,043 | $1,316 | $1,253 | $3,357 |
| $4,800 | $1,171 | $1,504 | $1,403 | $3,629 |
| $5,200 | $1,300 | $1,701 | $1,559 | $3,900 |
| $5,600 | $1,456 | $1,925 | $1,715 | $4,144 |
| $6,000 | $1,612 | $2,149 | $1,871 | $4,388 |
| $6,500 | $1,807 | $2,429 | $2,066 | $4,693 |
| $7,000 | $2,002 | $2,702 | $2,292 | $4,998 |
*Derived from the annualised ATO formulas; the printed ATO table may differ by a few dollars due to coefficient rounding. Calculate your exact fortnightly pay here.
How to Read the Fortnightly Tax Table
Find the row matching your gross fortnightly earnings, then use the column that matches your TFN declaration. The ATO builds the fortnightly table by doubling weekly earnings, so a fortnightly figure always equals two weekly withholdings for half the pay:
- Tax-free threshold claimed — the standard column for your main job, spreading the $18,200 annual threshold across 26 pays.
- STSL column — adds the compulsory HECS-HELP/study loan repayment once your annualised income passes the repayment threshold. At $3,000 a fortnight that adds about $63 per pay.
- No tax-free threshold — for second jobs; withholding starts from the first dollar. At $1,600 a fortnight that means about $357 withheld.
Paid weekly or monthly instead?
Each pay cycle has its own ATO table with different withholding amounts.
Weekly tax table Monthly tax tableHow Much Tax Is Withheld From Your Fortnightly Pay?
Under the 2026-27 fortnightly tax table, withholding at $2,000 a fortnight is about $267 (13% of gross), and at $3,000 a fortnight about $595 (20%). The percentage climbs with income because each extra dollar above $1,731 per fortnight (annualised $45,000) is withheld at the 30% marginal rate plus Medicare levy. Check where your income lands in the tax brackets guide or model a salary change with the income tax calculator.
Note that 2026 is one of the years where some fortnightly-paid employees receive 27 pays instead of 26, depending on their pay date. The table assumes 26 pays; an extra pay period can cause mild under-withholding that shows up as a smaller refund.
What Changed in the Fortnightly Tax Table for 2026-27?
From 1 July 2026 the marginal rate on income between $18,201 and $45,000 dropped from 16% to 15% under the legislated cost-of-living tax cuts, and the ATO reissued the fortnightly table (NAT 1006) to match. Compared with 2025-26, withholding falls by up to about $10 per fortnight for anyone earning $45,000 a year or more. A further cut to 14% arrives on 1 July 2027 — details in our 2026-27 tax changes guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How this calculator works▼
Withholding amounts are derived by annualising fortnightly earnings (× 26) and applying the FY2026-27 resident tax scale (15% rate on $18,201–$45,000 from 1 July 2026), the Low Income Tax Offset, and the Medicare levy with low-income shading, then dividing back to a fortnightly amount — the same architecture as the ATO Statement of Formulas (NAT 1004). Printed ATO tables may differ by small rounding amounts. Always verify payroll-critical figures against the current ATO publication.
Sources & References
- 1Fortnightly tax table (NAT 1006)— Australian Taxation Office
- 2Tax tables overview— Australian Taxation Office
- 3Statement of formulas (NAT 1004)— Australian Taxation Office
Last verified: 14 March 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
James Harrington
Verified AuthorSenior Tax & Payroll Analyst
CPA, Registered Tax Agent (25787011)
James is a CPA-qualified tax professional with over 14 years of experience in Australian taxation and payroll systems. He spent six years at the Australian Taxation Office working on PAYG withholding and individual tax return processing before moving into financial publishing. He now leads the tax content at Pay Calculator Australia, translating complex ATO legislation into clear, actionable guidance.
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