Tools · 2026-27 figures

First Home Super Saver (FHSS) calculator

The FHSS scheme lets you save a deposit inside super, taxed at 15% on the way in instead of your marginal rate. This First Home Super Saver calculator works out how much you could release for a deposit and how much more you end up with than putting the same pay in a savings account. Free, no sign-up, and every assumption is on the page.

Figures last checked:

Salary, per year. Sets your marginal rate and your super guarantee.

$/yr

Voluntary, before tax. The scheme counts up to $15,000 a year.

$/yr
years
Assumptions you can change

The ATO's shortfall interest charge rate, set each quarter. Not your fund's return.

% p.a.

The typical best savings account at each bank, base plus bonus, from the banks' own published data as at 5 October 2026. Bonus rates usually need conditions, such as a deposit each month.

% p.a.

Extra deposit from the scheme

$7,116

Over 3 years of contributing, compared with saving the same pay after tax.

Released for your deposit

$28,935

After $591 withdrawal tax, at your marginal rate of 32% less the 30% offset.

Saved in a bank instead

$21,819

The same $10,000 a year, taxed as pay, interest taxed too.

Counted by the scheme

$30,000

Under the $15,000 a year and $50,000 total caps.

An estimate for planning, not advice. It assumes contributions at the start of each financial year, release at the end of the last, and no carry-forward of unused concessional cap. It ignores Division 293 tax on incomes over $250,000 and any fees your fund charges. Check the current figures on the ATO's FHSS page and talk to your fund before you salary sacrifice.

Questions

FHSS calculator questions, answered.

How much can I withdraw under the FHSS scheme?

Only voluntary contributions count, up to $15,000 a financial year and $50,000 in total. You get back 85% of salary sacrifice and contributions you claim a deduction for (the fund has already taken the 15% contributions tax), 100% of after-tax contributions you don't claim, plus deemed earnings the ATO works out on both. Your employer's compulsory super doesn't count.

How is an FHSS release taxed?

The concessional part and the deemed earnings are taxed at your marginal rate less a 30% offset. The ATO withholds tax before paying you, and you put the amount on your tax return for the year you requested the release.

How long does an FHSS release take?

Usually 15 to 20 business days after you request it. Ask the ATO for a determination first, then the release, and do both before settlement: once the home is yours you can't ask.

Can couples both use FHSS for the same home?

Yes. Each person is assessed separately, so a couple, siblings or friends buying together can each use their own FHSS savings on the same home. One of you having owned property before doesn't stop the other.

Do I need to sign a contract within 12 months of release?

Yes. You have 12 months from your release request to sign a contract to buy or build, and must tell the ATO within 90 days of signing. The ATO can extend that once, by up to 12 months more. If you still don't buy, you put the money back into super or pay FHSS tax on it.

Is salary sacrifice or a personal deductible contribution better for FHSS?

They're treated the same by the scheme: both are concessional, taxed at 15% going in, and 85% of each can be released. Both count toward the $32,500 concessional cap along with your employer's super. The difference is practical: salary sacrifice comes out of your pay before tax automatically, while a personal contribution only gets the tax break once you claim the deduction.

Eligibility, the order of steps and what happens if you don't buy are covered in full in the guide. How the First Home Super Saver scheme works

How the scheme works

Four steps, and one deadline that catches people.

  1. 01

    Contribute

    Ask your employer to salary sacrifice, or make a personal contribution and claim it. Only voluntary contributions count, up to $15,000 a year and $50,000 in total.

  2. 02

    It's taxed at 15%

    Inside the fund, instead of your marginal rate. That gap is where most of the benefit comes from.

  3. 03

    Ask for a determination

    Request an FHSS determination from the ATO before settlement, then the release. You can ask for the release up to 90 days after you sign a contract. The money arrives in a few weeks.

  4. 04

    Buy within 12 months

    You have 12 months from your release request to sign a contract, and the ATO can extend that once, by up to 12 months more. Otherwise you put the money back into super or pay FHSS tax on it.

Who can use the scheme, which contributions count, how the release is taxed and what happens if you don't buy are all in the guide. How the First Home Super Saver scheme works

What the sacrifice does to your pay in the meantime, the tax it saves and whether it fits under the cap with your employer's super is a separate sum. Salary sacrifice super calculator

The 2026-27 figures

What this calculator uses.

Annual FHSS cap
$15,000
Total FHSS cap
$50,000
Contributions tax
15%
Withdrawal tax offset
30%
Super guarantee
12% from 1 July 2025
Concessional cap
$32,500
Deemed earnings (SIC)
7.51% p.a., October to December 2026 quarter
Tax brackets
2026-27 resident rates plus the 2% Medicare levy
Savings account rate (comparison)
5.00% p.a., typical best account per bank, 5 October 2026
Medicare low-income thresholds
$28,011 to $35,013, 2025-26 (latest published)

The government help chapter of the guide covers the First Home Guarantee, stamp duty concessions and the grants in each state alongside this scheme. Open the guide