Money guides for Australians

Plain-English explainers on the decisions that move your money: tax, property, home loans and study debt. Current 2026-27 figures, and a calculator for each.

Tax deductions by occupation
What can your job claim?

Nurses, construction workers, teachers, IT and more. What each can claim in 2026-27, grounded in the ATO rules, including the deductions people miss.

Tax

Australian income tax in 2026-27, explained

The brackets, the Medicare levy, LITO and the new 15% second bracket — how your pay actually gets taxed, with the numbers that apply from 1 July 2026.

Property

First home buyer schemes & stamp duty in 2026

Stamp duty concessions, the First Home Owner Grant, the 5% deposit guarantee and the First Home Super Saver — what's on offer and how they stack up.

Home loans

Offset vs redraw: which saves more?

They save the same interest — but the difference in access, tax and flexibility matters more than most people realise. A plain-English comparison.

Property

Rent vs buy in Australia: how to decide

Buying isn't always smarter than renting. The honest way to compare them — the costs people forget, and the one number that flips the answer.

Tax

How HECS-HELP repayments and indexation work in 2026

The new marginal repayment system, how indexation is now calculated, and whether paying your HELP debt off early is worth it.

Tax

Capital gains tax on shares & property, explained (2026-27)

How CGT actually works in Australia — it's added to your income, not a separate rate — plus the 50% discount, the main-residence exemption, and how losses help.

Super

Salary sacrifice into super: is it worth it? (2026-27)

Before-tax super contributions are taxed at 15% instead of your marginal rate. Here's how much that saves, the $32,500 cap to watch, and the catch to weigh up.

Tax

Work-from-home & work-related deductions in 2026

The ATO fixed-rate method (70c/hour), cents-per-km car claims, and the everyday work expenses people miss — with the records you need to actually claim them.

Home loans

How much can I borrow? Serviceability & the APRA buffer

Lenders don't lend a flat multiple of your income — they run a serviceability test at your rate plus a 3% buffer. What really moves the number — and what doesn't.

Investing

Franking credits & dividend imputation, explained

Why Australian dividends come with a tax credit, how the gross-up works, and when franking credits get you a refund.

Investing

Tax on shares and crypto in Australia: what investors need to know

How capital gains, dividends, franking credits and crypto are taxed for an ordinary investor: the 50% CGT discount, why swapping one crypto for another is a taxable event, income versus capital, and the records the ATO matches.

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