About Dinkum Calc

Last updated 15 October 2026

Who runs it

Dinkum Calc is an independent Australian website. It isn't owned by a bank, lender, broker, real estate agency or government body, and nobody pays to appear in its results. The calculators are free, and the site may show ads to cover its costs.

How rates are checked

Every rate, threshold and concession comes from the body that sets or publishes it, and each tool says where its figures come from and the date they were checked. The main sources are:

• Australian Taxation Office (ATO): income tax, the Medicare levy and surcharge, HECS/HELP, super, deductions, GST and capital gains tax.
• State and territory revenue offices, such as Revenue NSW and the State Revenue Office Victoria: property and motor vehicle stamp duty.
• Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS): the Consumer Price Index and earnings figures.
• Fair Work Ombudsman: minimum wages.
• Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA): the home loan serviceability buffer and lending limits.
• Moneysmart (ASIC): the methods and assumptions used by the loan, savings and credit card calculators.
• Legislation sites such as the Federal Register of Legislation, for new laws such as the 2027 capital gains tax and negative gearing changes.

Every worked example and FAQ answer on a tool page is calculated by the same code as the calculator, and automated tests recalculate each one and compare it with the published rate tables and the revenue offices' own worked examples. If a rate changes and a figure on a page no longer matches, the tests fail until the page is fixed.

A few figures, such as typical rental yields from Cotality, come from industry sources rather than government. These are always marked as estimates on the page that uses them, along with any formula a revenue office doesn't publish.

What changed for 2026-27

Changes the calculators already use, with the date each took effect and where it's published:

• 7 May 2026: WA first home buyers pay no transfer duty on a home up to $600,000, with a reduced rate to $800,000 (RevenueWA).
• 30 June 2026: Tasmania's first home buyer exemption for established homes ended for transfers settling after this date (State Revenue Office Tasmania).
• 1 July 2026: the tax rate on income from $18,201 to $45,000 fell from 16% to 15% (ATO).
• 1 July 2026: employees can claim a $1,000 standard deduction for work-related expenses instead of itemising smaller claims (ATO).
• 1 July 2026: the HECS/HELP repayment threshold rose from $67,000 to $69,528 (ATO).
• 1 July 2026: the Medicare levy surcharge starts at $105,000 for singles (up from $101,000) and $210,000 for families (ATO).
• 1 July 2026: the concessional super contributions cap rose from $30,000 to $32,500, and the maximum contribution base is $270,830 (ATO).
• 1 July 2026: the ACT Home Buyer Concession Scheme dropped its price cap and income test, so eligible buyers pay no conveyance duty at any price (ACT Revenue Office).

How often figures are re-checked

Rates are re-checked each 1 July, when most tax rates, thresholds and duty brackets change, and whenever a government announces a change, such as in a Budget or a revenue office update. The date of the last check is shown on each tool and in the footer.

Report an error

If a result looks wrong or a rate is out of date, please let us know which tool and the figures you entered (a results link from the Copy link button is ideal). Corrections are made as quickly as possible.

Email: , or use the buttons on Get in touch, which fill in what we need to check a figure.

Support the site

Dinkum Calc is run independently (see who runs it, above), and nobody pays to appear in its results. Keeping it going mostly means re-checking rates: every 1 July, after each Budget and whenever a revenue office changes a rule, every affected figure is checked against the official source and the tests are rerun before the change goes live.

The calculators stay free. If one saved you time, you can help cover hosting and the hours spent checking rates:

• Share a tool with someone it would help, or link to it from your own site (see the terms of use for embedding).
• Report anything that looks wrong (below).

The site may also show ads, but never on the calculators that project savings, investments or super, and never between a calculator and its result.

General information only

The calculators give general estimates based on the information you enter and the rules described on each page. They don't take your personal circumstances into account and aren't financial, tax, credit or legal advice. Before making a decision, confirm figures with the ATO, your state revenue office, your lender or a licensed adviser. See the terms of use, and the privacy policy for how your information is handled.