How We Calculate the PPL Planner

Rules & Data Version

Rules version: 2025–26 Government PPL rate effective 1 July 2024

CCSChecker provides an independent estimate only. Actual Paid Parental Leave (PPL) eligibility, rates and payments are assessed and determined by Services Australia. Individual circumstances vary and some scenarios cannot be fully modelled.

What the PPL Planner Models

The PPL Planner estimates:

• Government PPL income — weekly payments across the leave period
• Employer leave income — based on your entered salary and leave entitlement
• Unpaid leave period — zero income weeks after employer and government leave
• Monthly household income timeline — a 13-month projection (free) or 12-month projection (premium) showing combined household cash flow
• Return-to-work scenarios — estimated after-tax, after-childcare net income at 2, 3, 4 and 5 days per week

The planner is fully client-side — no data is sent to our servers.

Government Paid Parental Leave

Rate (2025–26)

Government PPL is paid at the national minimum wage rate:

• $183.16 per day (7 days per week)
• $1,282.12 per week (equivalent to 7 × daily rate)

CCSChecker uses this rate for all government PPL weeks.

Duration

From 1 July 2024, the government PPL scheme allows up to 22 weeks (110 days) of government-funded leave. This is being extended progressively to 26 weeks by 2026.

The planner accepts the number of government PPL weeks you enter. It does not cap at a fixed number — enter the weeks applicable to your situation.

Eligibility Assumptions

The planner assumes the primary carer meets the PPL work test and income test. It does not independently verify eligibility. Services Australia assesses actual eligibility.

Tax Treatment

Government PPL is taxable income. CCSChecker includes it in the income timeline but does not separately model PAYG withholding on PPL. Annual tax figures shown are based on total annual income including PPL, applied at the appropriate marginal rate.

Employer Leave

Calculation

Employer leave income is calculated as:

Employer leave income (weekly) = Annual salary ÷ 52

CCSChecker applies a standard full-time weekly equivalent. It does not separately model superannuation during employer leave (some employers pay super on paid leave and some do not).

Interaction with Government PPL

Many employers pay their own parental leave simultaneously or in sequence with government PPL. The planner accepts whether employer leave runs before, during, or after government PPL. Income from both sources is summed where they overlap.

Monthly Income Timeline

How It Is Built

The timeline models a week-by-week income stream, then aggregates to months:

1. Each week is assigned a leave type: employer paid, government PPL, unpaid, or return-to-work
2. Weekly income is calculated per phase
3. Weeks are grouped into calendar months for the chart display
4. Partner income is included as a constant throughout (based on your entered partner taxable income estimate)

The timeline starts from the entered leave start date.

Income Smoothing

Monthly income may vary at phase transitions (e.g., the month where employer leave ends and unpaid leave begins). The timeline shows actuals, not averages.

Return-to-Work Scenarios

After-Tax Income

Return-to-work income is estimated using:

• Days per week × daily equivalent of your annual salary
• After Australian income tax (2025–26 resident marginal rates)
• Medicare levy at 2%
• HELP repayments where entered
• Medicare Levy Surcharge where applicable

CCS-Adjusted Childcare Costs

CCSChecker re-runs the CCS calculation at the reduced return-to-work income level for each scenario:

• Days per week worked = days per week in childcare for each child
• CCS percentage is recalculated at the new ATI (accounting for partner income)
• Activity test hours are derived from the worked hours plus any activity hours entered
• Net out-of-pocket childcare is deducted to produce the after-tax, after-childcare net

This means working fewer days can sometimes produce a better net outcome after CCS, because:

• CCS percentage rises at lower income
• Fewer childcare days reduces the total fee

The planner shows all four scenarios (2/3/4/5 days) side-by-side so you can compare.

What the PPL Planner Does Not Model

• Superannuation contributions during leave
• Employer parental leave policies with clawback provisions
• Dad and Partner Pay (now integrated into the single PPL scheme)
• Concurrent leave arrangements where both parents are on leave
• State government parental leave supplements
• Long service leave
• Annual leave taken at the end of employment

Disclaimer

This estimate is provided for planning purposes only. It is not financial or legal advice. Actual PPL eligibility and payment amounts are assessed by Services Australia. Tax estimates use simplified marginal rate calculations and do not account for all offsets, deductions, or individual circumstances. Consult a financial adviser or accountant for personalised guidance.