Enter what you put into super voluntarily each year and for how long. You'll see how much the First Home Super Saver scheme would release, the tax taken when it's paid out, and how that compares with taking the same money as pay.
Against taking it as pay—
How it adds up
What the calculator follows
The rules are the ATO’s. It counts up to $15,000 of voluntary contributions a financial year and $50,000 in total, releases 85% of the before-tax ones and all of the after-tax ones, and adds deemed earnings at the shortfall interest charge rate (ATO, FHSS release amounts). The before-tax part and the earnings are then taxed at your marginal rate less a 30% offset. Nothing here guesses what your fund will earn.
Two simplifications, stated so you can discount them. Contributions are spread evenly through each year, and one flat deemed rate stands in for the ATO’s quarterly rates. The ATO’s determination is the real figure. Before-tax contributions also count toward the concessional cap of $32,500 for 2026–27, employer contributions included, and this tool doesn’t check that for you.
When the money actually turns up
Most people find the release matters less than its timing. The ATO pays out in 15 to 20 business days in most cases, and at a NSW auction the deposit is due on the day, so money requested after you win arrives weeks late. Our guide to using super to buy a house covers the order we suggest, and the First Home Guarantee guide covers the scheme it most often sits beside. This page is general information, not tax advice.
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Why is my estimate different from the ATO's figure?
The ATO applies each quarter's SIC rate, day by day, from the first day of the month you contributed to the date of your determination. This calculator uses one flat rate and assumes your contributions land evenly through each year. The determination you request through ATO online services is the exact number.
Do my employer's super contributions count?
No. Only voluntary contributions count: salary sacrifice, personal contributions you claim as a deduction, and after-tax contributions. Super guarantee payments from your employer, and contributions a spouse or parent makes for you, are excluded.
Why does the before-tax money come back at 85%?
Your fund takes 15% contributions tax when a before-tax contribution arrives, so the scheme releases the 85% that is left. After-tax contributions were never taxed in the fund, so they come back in full.
What marginal rate should I pick?
The bracket your taxable income falls in for the year you request the release, plus the 2% Medicare levy. The ATO publishes the resident brackets. The released amount itself is added to your income that year, which can push part of it into the next bracket.
How long does the money take to arrive?
The ATO says 15 to 20 business days in most cases. That matters at auction, where the deposit is due on the day, and our guide covers the order to do things in.