Annual Leave Payout Calculator — How Much Will You Get? (2026)

When your employment ends, all accrued but untaken annual leave must be paid out. The formula is: Leave payout = Accrued leave hours x Base hourly rate. For a full-time employee on $80,000/year with 3 weeks (114 hours) accrued: Base hourly rate = $80,000 / (52 x 38) = $40.49.

Leave payout = 114 x $40.49 = $4,616. If your award provides for 17.5% annual leave loading, check whether it applies to leave paid on termination.

Some awards include it, others don't. For example, if loading applies: $4,616 x 1.175 = $5,424.

So, the tax on your annual leave payout depends on why you're leaving. If you resign or are dismissed (not genuine redundancy): the entire leave payout is taxed at your marginal rate — the same as regular salary income. If you are made genuinely redundant: accrued leave is taxed at a maximum of 32% (including Medicare levy).

This concessional rate may be lower than your marginal rate. Leave that accrued during the current financial year is taxed at marginal rates, while leave from prior years may attract the lower rate.

Unused long service leave on termination has different tax treatment again — generally taxed at a maximum of 32% regardless of the reason for leaving.

Accrued annual leave includes all leave accumulated since your last anniversary or since leave was last taken. Annual leave accrues progressively at 2.923 hours per week for full-time employees (38 hours). Pro-rata accrual applies for part-time employees based on ordinary hours.

Leave accrues during paid leave (including annual leave, sick leave, and long service leave) but doesn't accrue during unpaid leave. Even if you've only been employed for a short period, all accrued leave must be paid out on termination.

There's no minimum service requirement for annual leave payout.