Child Support Information for Employers
Contact the Child Support Employer Service Team
- Phone 131 272
- Fax 1300 309 949
- Post to: Child Support Employer Services, PO Box 9815, Melbourne VIC 3001
Quick links
- The Employer’s Guide to Child Support
- The Child Support Guide, which outlines our approach to administering the Child Support Scheme
- Child Support Online Business Services
Wage or salary deductions are just one way we collect payments from parents who are separated and need to pay Child Support. We have a number of systems in place to help you, as an employer, make those deductions.
The first thing we do is let you know if you have to make deductions from an employee’s / contractor’s salaries or wages. Before we ask you to start making deductions, we will contact you to confirm the Child Support-paying parent is your employee or sub-contractor.
We will phone you or send you a questionnaire asking you to confirm:
- the employee or sub-contractor receives payments from you
- their salary or wage or other payment details
- how and when they are paid (pay cycle)
- that the details we have for your business are correct.
We need to be sure that the employee or sub-contractor details you give us are for the correct person.
If you receive a questionnaire, please fax or mail your completed reply to us, regardless of whether you employ that person or not. If you do not employ them, that will be all you have to do.
If you do employ the person, we will send you back a letter explaining how much Child Support to deduct. The letter will be titled either ‘Schedule of Child Support Deductions’ or ‘Notice Pursuant to Section 72A’. The letter is dependent on the Child Support-payer’s employment status (for example, full-time, part-time or casual). We will also send a copy of the letter to the employee or sub-contractor.
You need to know
Changes in circumstances for Child Support customers
As an employer of one of our Child Support customers, you must tell us if any of the following changes occur:
- the employee / contractor leaves, or you become aware that your employee / contractor intends to leave
- the employee's / contractor’s pay cycle changes
- the employee's / contractor’s employment status changes (for example, from full-time to part-time work)
- the business changes name or address, or your company merges with another company
- you vary the deductions you send us (we need to know the reason for the variations).
Your legal obligation as an employer of a Child Support customer
As an employer of one of our Child Support customers, you have a number of obligations under Child Support legislation.
Read more about your legal obligation as an employer of a Child Support customer
Deducting Child Support from an employee’s or contractor’s salary or wages
If you receive a ‘Schedule for Child Support Deductions’ for an employee / contractor, you need to follow these guidelines when making deductions from their salary or wages.
Read more about deducting Child Support from an employee’s / contractor’s salary or wages
Protected Earnings Amount
The Protected Earnings Amount (PEA) is the amount of an employee’s / contractor’s wages that are exempt from Child Support deductions.
Knowing how much Child Support to deduct from an employee / contractor
You are legally required to deduct the specified amount of Child Support from payments to your employee / contractor as directed.
Read more about how much Child Support to deduct from an employee’s / contractor’s wages
Employer’s payment options for transferring an employee’s / contractor’s Child Support to us
You have payment options when transferring an employee’s / contractor’s Child Support amount to us.
Resources
Child Support employer calculator
The Child Support employer calculator will help employers work out an employee’s / contractor’s net pay, taking into account Child Support payments, the PEA and basic tax liability.
Staying Connected
‘Staying Connected’ is a half-day workplace program helping separated dads deal with separation. It is designed for companies with more than 12 employees.
The Employer’s Guide to Child Support
The Employer’s Guide to Child Support provides information for employers / contractors of Child Support customers and tells you about:
- your legal obligation as an employer of a separated parent
- how much Child Support to deduct from an employee’s / contractor’s wages
- changes you need to tell us about.
The Child Support Guide
The Child Support Guide is our technical resource, which outlines our approach to the administration of the Child Support Scheme.
Child Support Online Business Services
Child Support Online Business Services (currently known as CSAonline business services) is a secure online service that gives you a faster, easier way to manage Child Support deductions.
Examples of payment deductions
These examples show how payments are deducted from an employee’s / contractor’s wage