Budget Surplus Calculator Australia 2025-26
See whether your income covers your business costs.
Are you spending more than you earn? See your monthly surplus or deficit, savings rate, and how long to build an emergency fund.
Uses after-tax net income. Enter your take-home pay, not gross salary.
Select the question that matches where you are right now.
Use this calculator to plan and model your financial situation.
Compare scenarios by adjusting inputs. Use the precision bar to reveal more detail. Results update in real time as you type.
Not professional financial advice, not a guarantee of any specific outcome, and not a substitute for qualified advice for significant decisions.
All calculations run entirely in your browser using standard formulas. No data is sent to any server.
The inputs that most influence this result are shown in the breakdown above. Even small changes to key variables can have a significant compound effect over time.
Longer periods amplify both growth and cost. Starting one year earlier or later can change a financial outcome by more than you expect.
Even a 1% change in rate can materially change the outcome over a long period. Use Standard or Advanced mode to model rate sensitivity.
Most financial variables have a non-linear relationship with the result — they compound. The sensitivity table in Advanced mode shows this clearly.
To improve this result, focus on the inputs with the highest leverage. Small changes to the right variable often produce much larger outcomes than large changes to less important ones.
Adjust inputs one at a time. The one that moves the result most is your binding constraint — focus effort there first.
Use the Scenario A/B feature in Advanced mode to compare two situations side by side.
Many financial decisions benefit from timing. Starting earlier, fixing a rate at the right moment, or clearing a debt before applying for new credit can each produce significant improvements.
Depending on what you are planning, these are the natural next steps after reviewing this result.
This calculator shows one part of a financial decision. The related calculators below help you model adjacent factors.
Switch to Standard or Advanced mode and use the scenario comparison tool to model best, expected, and worst case.
For decisions involving significant amounts of money, use this result as a starting point for a conversation with a qualified financial advisor.
How the Budget Surplus Calculator works
What is a budget surplus or deficit?
A budget surplus occurs when your income exceeds your expenses — you have money left over at the end of the month. A budget deficit means you are spending more than you earn. This calculator subtracts your total monthly expenses from your net monthly income and shows both the dollar amount and percentage of income remaining.
Net income vs gross income
Always use your net (after-tax) income — the amount that actually arrives in your bank account. Your gross salary is higher than your take-home pay due to income tax, Medicare levy, HECS repayments, and superannuation. Use the Pay Calculator to find your exact net income.
| Gross salary | Net monthly income (approx) | After HECS ($90k income) |
|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $4,125 | $4,008 |
| $80,000 | $5,108 | $4,941 |
| $100,000 | $6,133 | $5,800 |
| $120,000 | $7,175 | $6,575 |
Budget surplus examples by income and lifestyle — 2025-26
These examples show typical surplus/deficit scenarios for Australian households.
| Situation | Net income/mo | Expenses/mo | Surplus | % saved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single renter, $70k salary | $4,558 | $3,200 | $1,358 | 29.8% |
| Single owner, $85k salary | $5,350 | $4,100 | $1,250 | 23.4% |
| Couple, $140k combined | $9,100 | $6,500 | $2,600 | 28.6% |
| Family of 4, $150k combined | $9,600 | $8,200 | $1,400 | 14.6% |
| Single renter, $50k salary | $3,442 | $3,600 | -$158 | Deficit |
The 50/30/20 rule — a proven budget framework
What is the 50/30/20 rule?
The 50/30/20 rule divides your after-tax income into three categories: 50% for needs (rent/mortgage, groceries, utilities, transport, insurance), 30% for wants (dining out, entertainment, subscriptions, holidays), and 20% for savings and debt repayment.
Applying it to Australian incomes
| Net income/mo | 50% Needs | 30% Wants | 20% Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| $4,000 | $2,000 | $1,200 | $800 |
| $5,000 | $2,500 | $1,500 | $1,000 |
| $6,500 | $3,250 | $1,950 | $1,300 |
| $8,000 | $4,000 | $2,400 | $1,600 |
| $10,000 | $5,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 |
Adapting in high-cost cities
In Sydney and Melbourne, housing costs alone often exceed 30–40% of income for renters. If needs exceed 50%, reduce the wants category first before touching savings. A minimum 10% savings rate is a realistic floor for high-cost-of-living areas.
Building an emergency fund — how much and how fast
The 3–6 month rule
Financial advisers recommend keeping 3 to 6 months of essential living expenses in an accessible savings account. For a household with $4,000/month in essential expenses, the target emergency fund is $12,000–$24,000.
Who needs 6 months vs 3 months?
Six months of expenses is appropriate for: sole income households, commission or variable income earners, self-employed individuals, households with a single source of income, and anyone with health conditions that could affect employment. Three months is suitable for dual-income households with stable PAYG employment and good savings rate.
Where to keep it
Emergency funds should be in a high-interest savings account (not shares or property) — easily accessible without fees or tax complications. As of 2025, major bank savings accounts offer 4.5–5.5% interest, which is meaningful on a $15,000–$20,000 balance.
What to do with your monthly budget surplus
Priority order for surplus funds
Financial planners generally recommend this order: (1) Emergency fund — build to 3 months expenses first. (2) High-interest debt — credit cards at 20% should be cleared before investing. (3) Super contributions — salary sacrifice is highly tax-effective above $45,000 income. (4) Mortgage offset — guaranteed after-tax return equal to your mortgage rate. (5) Investment portfolio — shares, ETFs, or additional property.
The cost of not investing your surplus
A $1,000/month surplus invested in a diversified portfolio returning 7% annually becomes approximately $174,000 after 10 years and $520,000 after 20 years. The same money in a 5% savings account produces $155,000 after 10 years. Starting even one year earlier adds approximately $12,000 to the 10-year outcome.
❓ Frequently asked Frequently asked questions
What is a budget surplus?
A budget surplus is the amount remaining when your after-tax income exceeds your total monthly expenses. If you earn $6,000/month net and spend $4,200, your surplus is $1,800. This money is available for savings, investment, or debt repayment.
Should I include super in my income?
No — employer superannuation contributions go directly to your super fund and are not available for day-to-day budgeting. Use your take-home pay (net after tax, Medicare, and any HECS repayment). Super grows separately and is only accessible at retirement.
What expenses should I include?
Include all recurring monthly costs: rent/mortgage, groceries, utilities (electricity, gas, internet, phone), transport (car payments, fuel, public transport, registration, insurance), subscriptions, gym, dining out, entertainment, clothing, personal care, and any loan repayments. Do not include one-off annual costs — divide these by 12 to get a monthly equivalent.
What is a healthy surplus percentage?
The 50/30/20 rule suggests saving 20% of net income. In practice, 10–15% is the Australian median. A surplus below 10% of net income leaves little buffer for unexpected expenses. Above 30% is excellent and allows rapid wealth accumulation.
How do I reduce expenses to create a surplus?
Start with the largest expense categories: housing (consider refinancing, downsizing, or a flatmate), transport (public transport vs car ownership analysis), and food (meal planning reduces grocery and dining bills significantly). Subscriptions and memberships are often the easiest quick wins — audit everything you pay monthly.
Where these figures come from
Business figures on this page are drawn from the Australian Taxation Office (business tax, GST, PAYG), Business.gov.au (the federal business registration hub), Fair Work (employer obligations), and ASIC (company and director rules).
- Company tax rate (25% / 30%) — ATO — Company tax rates.
- GST rules (10%) — ATO — GST.
- PAYG withholding & employer obligations — ATO — PAYG withholding.
- Business registration (ABN/ACN) — Business.gov.au.
- Employer pay & award obligations — Fair Work Ombudsman.
- Company & director rules — ASIC — Companies.
Last checked: April 2026. Rates and thresholds are reviewed against the source of record each November, when annual adjustments for the following tax year are published.