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Deeming Calculator — what's my "deemed" income?
Centrelink doesn't ask what your savings, term deposits, shares or super actually earn. Instead they apply a deemed rate of return — an assumed amount Centrelink treats you as earning, regardless of what your investments actually pay. This calculator works out your deemed income from current rates, so you can see exactly what figure Centrelink will use in your income test.
Three things to know about deeming
1. It applies to financial assets only
Deeming applies to bank balances, term deposits, shares, ETFs, managed funds, account-based pensions and super held by anyone aged Age Pension age (currently 67). It does not apply to your home, vehicles, household contents, or investment property.
2. Two rates, two thresholds
The first slice of your financial assets is deemed at the lower rate. Anything above that threshold is deemed at the upper rate. Couples have a higher threshold than singles — the calculator handles this automatically once you select your status.
3. The actual return doesn't matter
If your investments earn more than the deemed rate, you keep the difference (Centrelink doesn't increase your assessed income). If they earn less, you still get assessed at the deemed rate. This is why deeming sometimes works in your favour and sometimes against you.
Current deeming rates & thresholds — effective from 20 March 2026
| Single | Couple (combined) | |
|---|---|---|
| Lower deeming rate | 1.25% | 1.25% |
| Threshold (lower rate applies up to…) | $64,200 | $106,200 |
| Upper deeming rate (above threshold) | 3.25% | 3.25% |
Deeming thresholds change on 1 July annually. Deeming rates change irregularly by Ministerial decision — before 20 September 2025 they had been frozen at 0.25% / 2.25% since May 2020.
Calculate my deemed income
Enter your current balances. Results update as you type.
Your results
How that's calculated
Start entering balances above to see the breakdown.
📝 Write these two numbers down
To see how this affects your actual Age Pension, head to the How Much Age Pension Can I Get? calculator. You'll need both of these:
The How Much calculator uses the same deeming logic as this page — you'll see the same deemed income figure flow through. The "write it down" step just makes it easier to keep track if you're moving between calculators.
Where to next?
The deemed income figure is just one half of the income test. To see how it flows through to your actual Age Pension entitlement — and how the assets test compares — use the calculators below.
Take the next step
Now that you have your deemed income, see how it affects your pension.
Full Age Pension calculator
Plug in your deemed income with the rest of your situation to see your fortnightly pension.
Calculate nowCompare old vs new rates
See how the latest indexation affected your pension, including the deeming rate change.
See the impactRead the full guide
How deeming works, why it exists, and what it means for retirement strategy.
Deeming Rules guideAccuracy Note: Whilst every effort has been made to provide current and accurate information, I am only one person and there's a very good chance I'll miss something. If you spot a factual error, or if a calculator breaks or gives incorrect answers, I'd be really grateful if you could let me know via the Contact Us page so I can fix it ASAP.
Disclaimer: This calculator returns the deemed income figure Centrelink would use in your Age Pension income test, based on current deeming rates and thresholds effective from 20 March 2026. Deeming applies only to financial assets; non-financial assets like investment property, vehicles, and household contents are assessed differently. This is general information only and does not constitute personal financial advice.
Centrelink data current as of 20 March 2026. Page last reviewed: 8 May 2026.
