Rates & sources
SDLT/LTT/LBTT bands vary between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Use the appropriate calculator.
Source: HMRC / Welsh Revenue / Revenue Scotland — figures refreshed at the start of each tax year.
When to use this calculator
- Before buying, renting, refinancing, or reviewing a property investment.
- When you want to compare cash flow, yield, growth, and ownership costs side by side.
- When you need a fast estimate before speaking to an agent, lender, or adviser.
- When you are assessing whether a rental property still makes financial sense after a mortgage rate change.
- When you want to compare the total cost of renting against owning over a five- or ten-year horizon.
A realistic Australia planning example
Use these sample inputs as a quick scenario test, then change one variable at a time to compare outcomes.
Annual Gross Salary (A$)
A$80,000
Annual Voluntary Super Contributions (A$)
A$250 per month
Years of Saving
1 year
Marginal Tax Rate
19% ($18,201–$45,000)
After entering these figures, review total contributions, estimated release amount and tax saving vs regular savings together rather than in isolation — each metric tells a different part of the story. Then rerun the tool with one input adjusted to see which variable has the biggest effect on all three outputs before you settle on a plan.
How to read your results
Total Contributions
This is the headline outcome of the calculation, but it is most useful when read alongside the supporting metrics below it rather than in isolation. Try changing one input at a time and watching how this total moves to understand which driver has the biggest impact.
Estimated Release Amount
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Tax Saving vs Regular Savings
Review this figure alongside your gross income so you can understand the true cost of deductions and plan around any thresholds before the tax year closes. If the figure looks higher than expected, check whether any pension or gift-aid contributions could reduce your taxable income.
Extra vs Saving Outside Super
Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.
Contributions Tax Paid
Review this figure alongside your gross income so you can understand the true cost of deductions and plan around any thresholds before the tax year closes. If the figure looks higher than expected, check whether any pension or gift-aid contributions could reduce your taxable income.
Method & assumptionsAuthoritative sources
This calculator estimates your potential benefit under the Australian First Home Super Saver (FHSS) Scheme for the 2024/25 financial year. It applies the ATO's 15% contributions tax to your voluntary contributions, caps annual eligible amounts at $15,000 and lifetime amounts at $50,000, and then estimates associated earnings at the ATO's approximate deemed rate of 4% per annum. The tax saving is calculated by comparing what you would have paid at your marginal rate versus the 15% super contributions tax.
Key caveats: the calculator uses a simplified 4% deemed earnings rate — the ATO uses the shortfall interest charge rate, which changes each quarter. Actual release amounts may differ slightly. A 30% withholding tax applies on release but a 30% tax offset cancels it out, so your effective tax on release is based on your marginal rate less the offset. Always verify your eligibility and release amount through myGov or a registered tax agent before making purchasing decisions.
Common mistakes
- !Comparing rent and ownership costs without including taxes, fees, and maintenance.
- !Using purchase price alone without testing the impact of financing or vacancy assumptions.
- !Relying on yield or growth in isolation instead of reviewing the full property case.
- !Forgetting Stamp Duty Land Tax (or its Scottish and Welsh equivalents), which can add thousands to the true cost of purchase.
- !Using optimistic rental growth figures without also testing a flat or declining rent scenario to check downside resilience.
What to do next
- Run a second scenario with a higher rate or lower rental yield to check downside resilience.
- Compare the result with a buy-versus-rent or stamp duty calculator before making an offer.
- Use the related guides below to understand agent fees, legal costs, and ongoing maintenance budgets.
- If you are assessing a buy-to-let, check the gross yield against the net yield after mortgage interest, voids, and management fees.
- Note down the key figures from this scenario to share with your solicitor or mortgage broker so they are working from the same assumptions.
Frequently asked
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End-of-article next steps
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