Check your pay · 2026-27
Second job tax calculator
With $2,400 a fortnight from job 1 and $600 from job 2, you should have about $13,208 withheld in tax across both jobs. Your actual tax on the combined income is $15,480, so you owe about $2,272 at tax time.
Your income and withholding
| Job 1 take-home per pay | $1,996.00 |
|---|---|
| Job 2 take-home per pay | $496.00 |
| Combined take-home per pay | $2,492.00 |
| Job 1 annual income | $62,400 |
|---|---|
| Job 2 annual income | $15,600 |
| Total annual income | $78,000 |
| Total tax withheld | -$13,208 |
| Actual tax bill | -$15,480 |
| Bill at tax time | -$2,272 |
Watch out: a bill
You will owe about $2,272 when you lodge your tax return. The usual cause is claiming the tax-free threshold with both jobs. You can ask job 2 to withhold an extra $88 per pay to avoid owing at tax time.
Which job should claim the threshold?
To leave the most in your pocket each pay, claim the tax-free threshold with .
| If job 1 claims the threshold | $2,492.00 |
|---|---|
| If job 2 claims the threshold | $2,374.00 |
Your total tax at year end stays the same either way; you are just choosing which job withholds more. The ATO requires you to claim with only one.
What if you claimed it on both jobs?
If you forgot to tell job 2 you had already claimed the threshold, both would withhold less tax. Here is what happens:
| Tax withheld (both claiming) | -$10,504 |
|---|---|
| Actual tax bill (unchanged) | -$15,480 |
| Bill instead | -$4,976 |
Claiming twice adds to your bill by about $2,704. You owe the tax either way; under-withholding just means a bigger surprise at tax time.
Common questions
Can I claim the tax-free threshold on two jobs?
Generally, you should claim it with only one payer at a time. You may claim it with a second payer only if you do not earn enough to use the full threshold with the first. Most of the time, one payer is the right choice.
Why is more tax taken from my second job?
Because you have not claimed the tax-free threshold with that employer, so tax is withheld from the first dollar. But it can still be too little: each employer withholds as if their pay were your only income, at the rates for that amount. If your two jobs together push you into a higher tax bracket, neither employer withholds at that higher rate, and you can owe tax at the end of the year even though you did everything correctly.
Will I get the tax back at tax time?
Only if more was withheld than you owe on your combined income. With two jobs it often goes the other way, as the example above shows. If the calculator shows a bill, you can ask your second employer to withhold an extra amount each pay so it is covered by the end of the year.
What if I have a HECS-HELP loan?
A study loan has its own withholding on top of the tax, applied to each job independently. The annual figure shown here includes your compulsory repayment on your combined income, but the per-pay withholding is modelled separately by your payroll system.
Which job should I claim the threshold on?
The calculator recommends which job leaves more money in your pocket each pay. In most cases, the higher-paying job leaves more overall. If you change that choice, the tax you owe stays the same, but the refund or bill shifts between your jobs.
More ways to check your pay
How this is worked out
- Tax withheld from each pay uses the ATO's Schedule 1 formula (NAT 1004), with the threshold claimed on job 1 and not on job 2.
- Actual tax is assessed once on the whole year's income from both jobs, including the Medicare levy and the low income tax offset.
- The study loan amount is an estimate: the annual compulsory repayment spread evenly over the year. Per-pay withholding by your employer may differ by a few dollars.
- The year-end figure assumes every pay this year looks exactly like the one you entered. A real refund or bill may differ if your pay varies, you have other income, or you change the threshold arrangement during the year.
Estimate only, not financial or tax advice. If you are unsure whether you have claimed the threshold correctly, the ATO can confirm it via myTax or by calling 13 28 61. See our methodology.