Australian superannuation tools
Super Withdrawal Tax Calculator: Tax and Net Payout
Estimate how much of an eligible lump sum withdrawal from a taxed Australian super fund remains after tax. Enter the withdrawal amount, age category and tax-free portion confirmed by your fund.
This calculator assumes an Australian resident who has provided a tax file number and receives an ordinary member lump sum from a taxed super fund. It does not determine whether you are legally allowed to access your super.
Calculate your withdrawal
Enter your lump sum details
Your estimated payout
Withdrawal results
Net payment after estimated withholding
Not calculated
- Gross withdrawal
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- Tax-free component
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- Taxable component (taxed element)
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- Estimated PAYG withholding
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- Effective withholding rate
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Confirm your payment type, condition of release and fund components to see an estimate.
Withholding estimate, not final income tax: Under preservation age, the standard withholding schedule uses 22%, including Medicare levy. At age 60 or older it uses 0% for the taxed element. Your final tax position can differ.
What Does the Super Withdrawal Tax Calculator Estimate?
The calculator estimates PAYG withholding and the net cash payment on an eligible member lump sum from a taxed Australian super fund. It separates the tax-free component from the taxable component and applies the relevant age-based withholding treatment to the taxed element.
How Do You Calculate the Net Super Withdrawal?
Net payment equals the gross lump sum less estimated PAYG withholding, which is not necessarily the final assessed income tax. The taxable component equals the withdrawal less the tax-free component. The preservation-age-to-59 low rate cap is a historical rule, not an active calculation category in 2026–27.
| Age at payment | Taxed element withholding | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Below preservation age | 22% | Ordinary member lump sum; lawful early release still required |
| Preservation age to 59 (historical cohort only) | 0% within remaining low rate cap; 17% above | The cap is reduced by previous qualifying withdrawals |
| 60 and older | 0% | Taxed element in a complying taxed fund |
When Can You Legally Withdraw Super?
Tax treatment and access eligibility are separate tests. Super is generally preserved until a condition of release is met, including retirement after reaching preservation age or reaching age 65. Limited early-release grounds have specific eligibility rules. See When Can I Access Super? before treating an estimate as a withdrawal entitlement.
How Do Tax-Free and Taxable Components Affect the Result?
The tax-free component of an ordinary member super benefit is not subject to withdrawal tax. The taxable component can contain a taxed element, an untaxed element or both. This tool applies rates only to the taxed element. For a partial withdrawal, you generally cannot withdraw only the tax-free component; the benefit uses the fund's component proportions. Confirm that split before calculating.
How Does the Lifetime Low Rate Cap Work?
The low rate cap is a lifetime threshold for eligible lump sums received after reaching preservation age but before 60. For people born after 30 June 1964, preservation age is 60, so this bracket does not apply to ordinary present-day under-60 withdrawals. Previous eligible lump sums reduce the available cap. Enter the unused amount confirmed for your circumstances. The annually indexed general threshold and an individual's unused lifetime cap are not necessarily the same. Australian Taxation Office, Payments from super, updated September 2026.
How Do Super Withdrawal Tax Examples Compare?
For a $50,000 lump sum with no tax-free component, the following examples assume the taxable amount consists entirely of a taxed element. The middle two examples illustrate historical age rules and must not be treated as current access options for people born after 30 June 1964.
| Case | Estimated withholding | Net payment |
|---|---|---|
| Below preservation age | A$11,000 (22%) | A$39,000 |
| Preservation age to 59 (historical illustration), A$50,000 remaining cap | A$0 | A$50,000 |
| Preservation age to 59 (historical illustration), no remaining cap | A$8,500 (17%) | A$41,500 |
| Age 60 or over | A$0 | A$50,000 |
Are Income Streams, Early Release and Disability Benefits Taxed Differently?
YES, special payment categories have different rules. Income stream taxation is not the same as lump sum withholding. Disability-related adjustments, terminal medical conditions, untaxed super schemes and departing Australia payments can change the calculation. Approved early release does not automatically mean tax-free treatment. Contact the fund and check the ATO's guidance for those cases.
How Can You Verify Your Super Withdrawal Estimate?
- Ask your super fund for the proposed payment's tax-free component, taxed element and any untaxed element.
- Confirm that the fund has approved a condition of release.
- If you are under 60, confirm the condition of release and tax category with the fund.
- Compare the fund's PAYG withholding estimate with the calculator and seek advice where components or exceptions differ.
For your employer contribution estimate, use the Superannuation Calculator Australia. To compare contribution types and caps, see the Super Contributions Calculator Australia. For projected retirement savings rather than withdrawal withholding, use the Super Projection Calculator Australia.
Sources and Calculation Scope
- Australian Taxation Office, Schedule 12: Tax table for superannuation lump sums, updated June 2026; Federal Register of Legislation, Taxation Administration (Withholding Schedules) Instrument 2026, registered 12 June 2026, Schedule 12 (effective 1 July 2026).
- Australian Taxation Office, Payments from super, updated 16 September 2026: low rate cap and annual indexation.
- Australian Taxation Office, Withdrawing and using your super: access and tax on super benefits.
This independent educational estimate is not personalised tax or financial advice. Rates shown are the standard schedule used for relevant lump sums; the calculator does not estimate all possible income tax outcomes or test personal eligibility.