Rules changelog

Changelog

Back to Work Calculator's numbers only mean anything if you know exactly which rates they're built on, and when those rates were last checked. This page is that record: an entry for every rules refresh and every change you'd notice, plus a note on what triggers the next one.

A warmer, single instrument (17 August 2026)

Back to Work Calculator now reads as one warm tool rather than a light form bolted onto a dark panel. The page opens on the real question, going back to work and how many days is worth it, with a worked money example before you touch a thing, and a plain note that the numbers are only part of the call: more coming in, or more time at home, can each be the right choice for your family. The calculator itself is one bench now, your details on the left and the monthly readout inset on the right, and the childcare receipt sits open by default so the hardest-to-follow number shows its working the moment you arrive. Same engine, same 2026-27 rules; what changed is how it feels to use.

Content reframed around the day-vs-day story (16 August 2026)

The homepage, every guide and the FAQ now lead with the same comparison the results view opens on: pick two days and see exactly what each one adds. The worked examples show the trade-off directly: moving from 3 days to 5 can leave less of the extra pay than the gross numbers suggest, because tax climbs, a HELP repayment can kick in, and the Child Care Subsidy rate falls on every day already in use, not just the new one. The "sweet spot" (the last day that's still clearly worth it) lands around 3 or 4 days for a lot of families, not 5. Same engine, same 2026-27 rules; what changed is which comparison the words point at.

Results redesigned (16 August 2026)

The results now read like a monthly household statement, and getting there is one tap: pick a day on the slider, tap a second to compare, and an exit chip takes you back to one. Pay lands, childcare comes out (with a receipt showing exactly how the number is worked out), and the total is what your household keeps. The old wide results table is gone; the same figures by the year, each linked to its source page, now live in a "Full year detail" panel inside every statement. On a laptop or desktop the form sits beside the results, so nothing needs scrolling into view; on a phone it tucks behind a short summary once you've filled it in. The downloadable image matches what's on screen too (one statement, or both when you're comparing, with the Child Care Subsidy rate change marked), in place of the old separate $/hr card. Same engine, same 2026-27 rules; what changed is how the answer is shown.

2026-27 estimate rules

The calculator, guides and methodology page all run on the 2026-27 estimate rules profile. Each source below shows its own status and checked date:

Income tax brackets, Medicare levy, LITO, HELP thresholds, super rateStatus: verified · Checked 19 August 2026ato.gov.au

Medicare Levy Surcharge tiersStatus: verified · Checked 19 August 2026ato.gov.au

Child Care Subsidy rate, taper and capsStatus: verified · Checked 19 August 2026servicesaustralia.gov.au

State-average daily childcare feesStatus: estimated · Checked 19 August 2026education.gov.au

One section above is flagged unverified rather than silently presented as checked: see the fee-data honesty note on the methodology page for why, and what we fall back to in the meantime.

What gets updated, and when

Rates in this space move on a predictable calendar, so refreshes happen on a schedule rather than only when something visibly breaks:

After the May federal budget: any announced changes to tax brackets, HELP thresholds, Medicare levy settings or CCS policy for the upcoming financial year are drafted as a new rules file ahead of 1 July.
On 1 July: CPI-indexed figures (CCS hourly caps, HELP repayment thresholds, MLS income tiers) are confirmed against the newly published source values and the draft rules file is finalised for the new financial year.
Each January: a mid-year policy check, since Child Care Subsidy settings in particular have changed outside the normal budget cycle before.

Every refresh runs through the same deterministic validator before it ships: brackets must stay ordered and contiguous, tapers must stay monotonic, caps must stay positive and within a sane range of the prior year, and every section must carry complete provenance: a rules file with a rate but no source link fails the build.