Rates & sources
Compound growth assumes reinvested returns and no platform fees. Past performance is not a guide to future returns.
Source: FCA — Investment basics — figures refreshed at the start of each tax year.
When to use this calculator
- Before choosing between saving, investing, or increasing your monthly contribution.
- When you want to compare best-case, base-case, and cautious return assumptions.
- When you need a quick projection before making a longer-term portfolio decision.
- When you are deciding how many more years of contributions are needed to reach a specific target balance.
- When you want to see whether starting earlier versus contributing more each month produces a bigger outcome.
A realistic Australia planning example
Use these sample inputs as a quick scenario test, then change one variable at a time to compare outcomes.
Cash Dividend Received (A$)
7000
Franking Percentage (%)
35
Marginal Tax Rate (incl. Medicare)
0% (below tax-free threshold)
Receiving in Super Fund?
No — personal name
After entering these figures, review franking credit, grossed-up dividend and tax refund 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
Franking Credit
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.
Grossed-Up Dividend
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 Refund
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.
Additional Tax Payable
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.
Net After-Tax Income
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.
Effective Yield Multiplier
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.
Method & assumptionsAuthoritative sources
Australia’s dividend imputation system allows companies to attach franking credits to dividends, representing the 30% corporate income tax already paid on those profits. This calculator grosses up your cash dividend by the applicable franking credit (computed as cash × franking% × 30/70) and then applies the relevant tax rate to determine whether you owe additional tax or receive a refund. The net after-tax income figure represents the economic value of the dividend after all Australian income tax is accounted for, and the effective yield multiplier shows how the franking credit amplifies the real return relative to the cash dividend alone.
The calculator uses the standard 30% corporate tax rate applicable to most large ASX-listed companies. Base-rate entities — companies with aggregated turnover below $50 million — may be franked at a lower 25% corporate rate from 2021/22 onwards, which would reduce the franking credit per dollar of dividend. Super fund tax rates reflect the standard 15% accumulation rate and 0% pension phase rate; SMSFs or industry funds with specific investment strategies may have different effective rates. This tool is intended for general education only and does not constitute tax advice.
Common mistakes
- !Assuming a constant return without checking a more conservative growth rate.
- !Forgetting to include ongoing contributions, fees, or tax wrappers where relevant.
- !Focusing only on the final balance instead of the path required to reach it.
- !Ignoring the drag of platform fees or fund charges, which can reduce the real compounded return significantly over ten or more years.
- !Comparing ISA and general investment account projections without adjusting for the tax treatment of interest, dividends, or capital gains.
What to do next
- Test a cautious, expected, and optimistic growth rate instead of relying on a single projection.
- Compare this result with related savings or retirement tools before committing more money.
- Use the linked guides to understand which assumptions matter most over longer periods.
- Consider running the same figures in an ISA and a general account scenario to see how the tax treatment changes the outcome over ten or more years.
- If the projected balance falls short of your target, use the tool to work backwards — increase the monthly contribution until the result meets your goal.
Frequently asked
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End-of-article next steps
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