Australian FIRE Calculator
ProjectFi is the Australian FIRE calculator built for AU rules. Most FIRE calculators were written for the US 401(k) system and either ignore Australian super or treat it as a footnote. ProjectFi models superannuation preservation age, Div 293, the concessional and non-concessional caps, the Age Pension assets and income tests, CGT discount, franking credits, and Monte Carlo simulation natively. The projection reflects what actually decides whether your Australian FIRE plan works.
Free to start. No credit card. Built for Australia.
What this FIRE calculator models
Every Australian-specific rule that meaningfully affects when FIRE is reachable for you, modelled correctly:
Superannuation preservation age
The cliff most early-FIRE plans break on. ProjectFi models the bridge years between when you stop working and when super unlocks at preservation age (60 for almost everyone planning FIRE today).
Concessional + non-concessional caps with bring-forward
Annual concessional cap of $30k (2025-26), non-concessional cap of $120k with the three-year bring-forward rule. The calculator routes voluntary contributions through these caps automatically.
Division 293 surcharge
High-income earners pay an extra 15% on concessional contributions when income + concessional contributions exceed $250k. ProjectFi computes this on every projection year.
Age Pension assets and income tests
Including deeming, the $3 per fortnight per $1,000 taper, and homeowner vs non-homeowner thresholds. For middle-AU households the Age Pension lifts the FIRE number lower; the calculator surfaces the lift explicitly.
CGT discount on non-super sales
50% CGT discount on assets held over 12 months, applied to non-super drawdown years. The projection accounts for the after-tax drawdown amount, not the gross sale.
Franking-credit refund through net tax
ITAA97 Division 207. The calculator applies franked-dividend mechanics to non-super income yield, including the refundable offset.
Monte Carlo simulation with sequence-risk-aware drawdown
Probability distribution across 1,000+ paths, with drawdown ordering across super and non-super that respects sequence-of-returns risk. Free tier gets 5 runs per month; Pro is unlimited.
HECS/HELP repayments
Marginal-system FY25-26 thresholds applied to your taxable income. The calculator pushes back your FIRE date by the HECS drag automatically.
See the methodology for the engine's detailed rule references and ATO sources.
How is this different from a US FIRE calculator?
US FIRE calculators target the 401(k) and Roth IRA system. The generic 4% rule plus a US tax bracket gives you a US-shaped answer. Three Australian rules break that answer:
- Super preservation age is a hard cliff. If you retire at 50 with everything in super, you can't touch a cent of it for 10 years. A US 401(k) has 72(t) substantially- equal-payments and Roth conversion ladders. Australia has neither. The bridge years between FIRE and preservation age must be funded entirely from non-super, and that's the constraint that quietly breaks most early-FIRE plans.
- Super taxation is its own system. Inside super, contributions are taxed at 15% (or 30% over Div 293 thresholds). Earnings are taxed at 15% in accumulation, 0% in pension phase. CC and NCC caps put hard limits on how much tax-advantaged money you can move into super. None of this maps onto US 401(k) mechanics; calculators that pretend it does give you wrong answers.
- Age Pension reshapes the FIRE number. The assets-tested Age Pension is the most under-modelled lever in Australian FIRE. For households with $400k to $1.2m of assessable assets at age 67, the Pension lifts the FIRE number measurably lower because it provides a partial income floor in late retirement. US calculators don't model anything equivalent.
Who is this FIRE calculator for?
Early-FIRE planners under 50
If you're aiming to retire before 60, the bridge-years problem is the bit that decides whether your plan survives. Front-loading super only works if you can fund the gap.
Regular AU workers checking realism
If retirement at 60 is your target, the calculator shows you whether your current trajectory gets you there and whether the Age Pension closes the gap if it doesn't.
Couples planning together
Per-person super, staggered retirement ages, partner income, joint household FIRE. Couples are first-class, not bolted on to a single-person model.
What the FIRE calculator looks like
Live projection of net worth across accumulation, the bridge years, and super-phase drawdown. Monte Carlo bands show the sensitivity range. This is the actual output for a synthetic sample household.
Try the Australian FIRE calculator
Free to start. No credit card. Built for Australia.
Australian FIRE calculator FAQ
Is the FIRE calculator free?
Yes. The Australian FIRE calculator is free to use, no account needed for the homepage calculator. A free account adds saved plans, partner modelling, and 5 Monte Carlo runs per month. Pro adds unlimited scenarios, unlimited Monte Carlo, and the full year-by-year projection.
How does the FIRE calculator handle super preservation age?
ProjectFi models your preservation age (currently 60 for almost everyone planning FIRE today) and the bridge years between when you stop working and when super unlocks. The projection shows how much non-super wealth you need to fund the gap and when super takes over for the remainder of retirement.
Does the FIRE calculator support couples?
Yes. Couples are first-class. ProjectFi models per-person super balances, separate retirement ages, partner income, partner HECS, joint household expenses, and partner Age Pension interactions. The projection treats both partners as one household but with independent super timelines.
What's the FIRE number for Australia?
There is no single number; it depends on your expenses, retirement age, and how much sits inside vs outside super. ProjectFi computes your FIRE number from your expenses and target retirement age, and shows the split between super and non-super you need at each stage. The 25x rule is a starting point but Australian super, Age Pension, and CGT all reshape the answer.
Does the FIRE calculator handle the Age Pension?
Yes. The engine applies the Age Pension assets and income tests, including deeming and the $3-per-fortnight-per-$1,000 taper, with separate treatment for homeowner vs non-homeowner. For most middle-AU households the Age Pension materially shifts the FIRE number lower; ProjectFi shows that lift explicitly.
Is this FIRE calculator suitable for Coast FIRE, Lean FIRE, or Fat FIRE?
Yes. The calculator works across all FIRE flavours because it models the underlying maths (savings rate, returns, tax, super preservation, Age Pension) rather than a fixed FIRE-type assumption. Pick your retirement age and expenses; the projection adapts.
How accurate is the FIRE calculator?
It's a projection tool, not a prediction. The engine implements ATO FY25-26 rates, super legislated SG of 12%, current contribution caps, Div 293 thresholds, Age Pension rates from Services Australia, and CGT discount mechanics. Returns are user-configurable and Monte Carlo simulation gives you a probability distribution rather than a single number. See methodology for sources.