Family Tax Benefit

Family Tax Benefit Part A is paid for each child. The amount you get is based on your family’s individual circumstances.

You may be eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A if you care for a dependent child who is either:

• under 16 years of age
• aged 16 or 17 years and has completed a Year 12 or equivalent qualification, or
• aged 16–19 years (up to the end of the calendar year they turn 19) and:
  • is undertaking full-time education or training in an approved course leading to a Year 12 or equivalent qualification
  • has an acceptable study load, or
  • has been granted an exemption from this requirement

You also need to satisfy an income test, meet residency requirements and be caring for the child at least 35 per cent of the time.

Immunisation requirements for Family Tax Benefit Part A supplement

Children need to be ‘fully immunised’, be on a recognised immunisation catch up schedule, or have an approved exemption to be eligible for the Family Tax Benefit Part A supplement for that period.

Read more about immunising your children.

Family Tax Benefit Part B gives extra help to single parents and families with one main income. An example of this may be where one parent stays at home to care for a child full-time or balances some paid work with caring for a child. This payment is income tested.

You may be eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part B if you have care of a child for at least 35 per cent of the time who is:

• a dependent child under 16 years of age, or
• a dependent full-time secondary student up until the end of the calendar year in which they turn 18

The rate of Family Tax Benefit Part B is based on an income test. You also need to meet residency requirements.

You and your partner cannot receive Family Tax Benefit Part B during a Parental Leave Pay period, but it may be paid after the Paid Parental Leave period ends.

Eligible carers

If you are a parent, guardian, foster carer, grandparent, or other carer, you may be eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part B.

You will not be eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A or Part B if your child earns $13,775 or more during the financial year and is:

• aged 5–15 years and not studying full time

• aged 16–19 years and not in full-time secondary study, or exempt from this requirement

The amount of Family Tax Benefit Part A you get paid depends on your actual family income, how many children you have, and how old they are.

Read more about payment rates of Family Tax Benefit Part A

The amount of Family Tax Benefit Part B you get usually depends on the age of your youngest child.

Read more about payment rates of Family Tax Benefit Part B

The income test for Family Tax Benefit Part A is a guide only, and is updated on 1 July each year.

Read more about the income test for Family Tax Benefit Part A

The income test for Family Tax Benefit Part B is updated on 1 July each year.

Read more about the income test for Family Tax Benefit Part B

To be eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B you must satisfy residence requirements. You must be living in Australia and:

• have Australian citizenship, or
• hold a permanent visa, or
• hold a special category visa, or
• hold a certain temporary visa type for example a partner provisional, interdependency or temporary protection visa

Your child must also meet the residence requirements or be living with you and you must continue to meet the residence requirements for as long as you get this payment.

You may be able to claim a payment during a temporary absence from Australia if you have been absent for less than three years.

If you and/or your partner receive Family Tax Benefit Part A and an income support payment such as Parenting Payment, Newstart Allowance, or a payment from the Department of Veterans' Affairs, your child may need to have a health check for you to get the Family Tax Benefit Part A supplement.

Read more about Healthy Start for School health check

If you qualify for Family Tax Benefit Part A or Part B, you may be entitled to other payments and services such as:

If you share care of a child for at least 14 per cent of the time (two or more nights per fortnight), you may be able to receive Rent Assistance, a Health Care Card, Remote Area Allowance (with your Centrelink payments such as Newstart Allowance), Child Care Benefit, Child Care Rebate and access to the lower threshold of the Medicare Safety Net.

Our self service options are a quick and effective way to deal with us. You can use self service where it's convenient to you and manage things yourself:

• online - you need to register to use some of the services, then you can do many things where and when it suits you
• on your mobile device - our Express Plus mobile apps are simple, fast and convenient, giving you more choices for dealing with Centrelink
• on the phone - you can self-register for Centrelink Phone Self Service
• using a self service terminal at one of our Service Centres

You need to tell us if your circumstances change when you are receiving a payment. For example, if:

• you change your address
• you become partnered
• you separate from your partner
• your or your partner’s income changes
• you do not have to lodge a tax return
• your child-care arrangements change
• your child’s work or study load changes
• your child leaves your care, or
• you leave Australia

If you do not tell us about the changes within 14 days, your payment may be affected. You may be overpaid benefits and you will probably have to pay the money back.

If you deliberately do not tell us about changes, you could be charged with fraud, and a recovery fee may be imposed.

When you or your partner lodge your tax return or tell us you do not need to lodge, we will assess your family assistance and compare it with the amount you have already received during the financial year.

To be eligible for any top-up payment, including the end of year Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B supplements, you and your partner need to have lodged your tax returns (or told us you do not need to lodge) within two years of the end of the financial year you received your payments.

If you overestimate your actual annual family income during the year, you may get a top-up payment after the end of the financial year.

If you underestimate your annual family income during the financial year, you will have to repay any Family Tax Benefit you received incorrectly.

For more information about how to avoid an overpayment of Family Tax Benefit read our Avoid a debt brochure.

You may be eligible to receive part of your Centrelink payment in advance. Accessing an advance payment depends on the type of payment you receive, how long you have been receiving it and the amount that you receive.

Read more about advance payment options

There are rules about getting your payment when you leave Australia.

Read more about payments paid while outside Australia