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.
The simplifications, stated so you can discount them. It covers salary sacrifice, the common case; after-tax contributions also count and come back untaxed, and the ATO’s figure includes them. Contributions are spread evenly through each year, and the deemed earnings use one flat rate, the ATO’s 7.51% for October to December 2026 (ATO SIC rates), in place of its 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.