Free BookWorking some hours as an employee (TFN) and the rest on your own ABN as a sole trader? See what you actually keep after Australian tax — and how much to set aside from your ABN work, because no tax is taken out for you.
Australian resident rates · FY 2026–27 (from 1 July 2026)Please read first — estimate only. Tax rates, thresholds and rules change and depend on your personal circumstances, so treat every figure here as a guide for reference, not as tax or financial advice. Always confirm your exact position with a registered tax agent or the ATO before making any decision. WE CLEANER (APERSON Services Pty Ltd) accepts no liability for decisions made using this tool.
Assumes the $18,200 tax-free threshold is claimed on your TFN job. Results update as you type.
The ATO adds your TFN wages and ABN profit together. You're taxed on the total — there's no separate "ABN tax rate."
The first $18,200 is tax-free, but only on one job. Claim it on your TFN job; your ABN income stacks on top at your marginal rate.
Employers withhold tax from TFN pay. On ABN nothing is taken out — set money aside yourself, or use PAYG instalments.
1. Gross income. TFN wages = TFN hours × rate × weeks. ABN income = ABN hours × rate × weeks, minus your business expenses (deductions).
2. Taxable income. Both are added together. Australian resident rates for FY2026-27 apply: nil up to $18,200, then 15% to $45,000, 30% to $135,000, 37% to $190,000, and 45% above. A 2% Medicare levy is added on top.
3. Splitting TFN vs ABN. Your TFN job withholds PAYG roughly equal to the tax on those wages alone (with the tax-free threshold). Your ABN income sits on top, so the extra tax it creates is what you set aside — the figure shown above.
4. Super. On TFN work your employer pays 12% super on top of your wage. As a sole trader on ABN there's no compulsory super, so you'd fund your own — worth weighing when comparing the two.
Not included: HELP/HECS study debt, Medicare Levy Surcharge, private health, income tax offsets, and GST. Medicare levy uses the standard low-income shade-in; low-income thresholds are indexed each year.
Your ABN tax is worked out after expenses. Every dollar you genuinely spend to earn that income — and keep a receipt for — comes off your taxable income, so once you're over the $45,000 bracket that's about 32c back per $1 (30% + 2% Medicare) and the set-aside above drops. Tick what applies to estimate your year's deductions, then send it to the calculator:
Indicative amounts — edit each to your real spend. Only claim what you actually paid for work, weren't reimbursed for, and have a record of. Applying fills the “ABN expenses” box above.
Snap receipts with the free ATO myDeductions app and log your work car trips — photos count as records.
Keep records 5 years from when you lodge. A separate bank account for cleaning makes it painless.
No employer pays super on ABN work. You can contribute and claim it as a deduction — concessional cap $30,000 (2025-26).
Lodge a Notice of Intent (ATO NAT 71121) with your fund before you lodge your return.
Small business can instantly write off eligible gear under $20,000 each, if first used by 30 June 2026 (drops to $1,000 after, unless extended).
Buying a vacuum or machine you need before 30 June brings the deduction into this year.
Nothing is withheld on ABN pay. Park the set-aside amount each week, and watch the $75,000 GST line — register once you reach it.
Tools like Hnry auto-set-aside tax & GST; or ask the ATO about PAYG instalments.
Get your ABN, insurance and documents sorted, then build your Business Card and join your local cluster.