Methodology

What the Pay app includes, and where the boundary still matters

The compare engine is designed for responsible planning, not false precision. It reuses the underlying Australian tax logic already used across Austax.tools, then wraps that logic in scenario comparison.

Employee scenarios include

Income tax, Medicare levy, MLS, HELP repayments, salary sacrifice, deductions, residency settings, and pay frequency normalisation.

Bonus scenarios include

The engine estimates the annual tax impact of the bonus and compares it to likely withholding on the bonus pay run.

Contractor scenarios include

Daily, hourly, or annual contract value assumptions, GST registration, business expenses, voluntary super, and employee-equivalent comparison.

What this app does not cover

Payroll tax, payroll admin, employer compliance, entity structuring, or personal advice about your exact legal obligations.

How to use it

Keep the baseline simple, then change one material assumption at a time

Baseline first

Start with the cleanest credible version of your pay setup. This gives you the benchmark that the alternate scenario will be judged against.

One alternate, not ten

The app is strongest when each alternate scenario answers one decision question clearly, such as “what if I keep the HELP debt?” or “what if I contract at this daily rate?”.

Use the single calculators when you need a narrower answer

For a one-off bonus explanation or a standalone HELP estimate, the root calculators remain the better first tool.