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Payslip Decoder

Enter your payslip details to verify your employer is withholding the correct PAYG tax and paying the right super. Understand what every line on your payslip means.

Pay Period

Your Payslip Figures (this fortnight)

Other Deductions (this fortnight)

Your Situation

Have you lodged your TFN with your employer?

Without a TFN on file, employers must withhold tax at the top rate (47%).

Residency Status

PAYG Verification

Underwithheld

Gross pay annualised (× 26)

fortnightly gross × 26 periods

$99,996

Expected PAYG this period

Based on 2025-26 ATO tax tables

$876

PAYG shown on payslip

As entered above

$780

Difference (this period)

Positive = overwithheld, negative = underwithheld

-$96

Annual variance

Extrapolated across 26 periods

-$2,506

What to do if tax is underwithheld?

Small discrepancies are normal due to rounding and ATO withholding schedules. If the underpayment is significant, check your Tax File Declaration form — you may have claimed the tax-free threshold incorrectly. You can ask your employer to withhold additional tax, or set aside the difference yourself. Underwithheld tax will be payable when lodging your return.

Super Verification

Correct

Expected super (12% SGC)

Gross pay × 12% = $462

$462

Super shown on payslip

As entered above

$461

Difference

Positive = more than expected

-$1

Net Pay Reconciliation

Gross Pay

$3,846

Less: PAYG Withheld

−$780

Calculated Net Pay

$3,066

Note: Super is paid separately to your fund — it does not reduce your net pay.

What Each Payslip Line Means

Tips for Australian Workers

  • 1Check your payslip every pay run — errors are easier to fix while recent.
  • 2Request a super fund statement at least once a year to verify contributions are landing.
  • 3With Single Touch Payroll, the ATO sees your data in near real-time — check your myGov account to verify what your employer has reported.
  • 4If your pay is below the Super Guarantee threshold ($450/month from 1 July 2022 no longer applies — super is now owed on all ordinary time earnings regardless of amount).
  • 5Keep your TFN declaration and bank details up to date with payroll — incorrect TFN = 47% withholding rate.
  • 6Employers must provide a payslip within 1 business day of each pay day under the Fair Work Act.

Summary

Annualised Gross$99,996
Expected Annual Tax$22,786
Effective Tax Rate22.8%
LITO Offset Applied−$0
Medicare Levy (annual)$2,000
PAYG this periodUnderwithheld
Super this periodCorrect

ATO Resources

How this works

We annualise your gross pay, apply the 2025-26 ATO income tax brackets, subtract LITO and add Medicare Levy to estimate expected PAYG for your period. Actual withholding tables can vary slightly from our calculation due to ATO rounding rules.

Super timing

Super shown on your payslip may be accrued, not yet paid. Check your super fund portal directly — employers must pay quarterly by statutory due dates.

Disclaimer

Estimates only. PAYG withholding depends on individual circumstances including tax offsets, HECS debt, multiple jobs, and allowances not captured here. Always verify with your employer or a registered tax agent.

How to check if your payslip is correct

To verify your PAYG withholding, annualise your gross pay (multiply by 52 for weekly, 26 for fortnightly, or 12 for monthly), then apply the 2025-26 ATO income tax brackets. Subtract the Low Income Tax Offset (LITO) and add Medicare Levy (2%) to get your expected annual PAYG. Divide by your number of pay periods and compare to your payslip. A small difference is normal due to ATO rounding schedules — a large discrepancy warrants follow-up.

How to check if your employer is paying the correct super

Your employer must pay 12% of your ordinary time earnings as Super Guarantee Contributions (SGC) since 1 July 2025. Multiply your gross pay for the period by 0.12 to get the expected super. Check your super fund's online portal to confirm payments are being received. Remember that employers pay super quarterly, not per payslip — so a payslip showing super "accrued" does not necessarily mean it has been paid to your fund yet.

What is PAYG withholding?

Pay As You Go (PAYG) withholding is the tax your employer deducts from your gross wages each pay period and remits to the ATO on your behalf. The amount is based on the ATO's tax withholding schedules, which estimate your end-of-year tax liability. At tax time, if your employer overwithheld you receive a refund. If too little was withheld, you pay the shortfall. Since 2019, Single Touch Payroll (STP) means the ATO sees your withholding data in near real-time.

What to do if your payslip is wrong

For PAYG errors: contact your payroll team first. If unresolved, you can lodge a withholding variation with the ATO. For super underpayment: first verify in your super fund portal that the payment hasn't arrived yet (super is paid quarterly). If genuinely unpaid, report to the ATO using their Super Guarantee Integrity Tool. The ATO investigates employer super underpayments for free. Workers cannot pursue unpaid super through Fair Work — it's solely ATO's jurisdiction.