Child Support Assessment

Before we accept a Child Support application, we must be satisfied both parents are the legal parents of the child or children involved.

We will be satisfied if:

• the parents were married when the child was born
• the parents are named on the child’s birth certificate
• the male parent was living with the mother between 20 and 44 weeks immediately before the child’s birth
• the person has adopted the child
• a statutory declaration has been made by a person acknowledging they are the child’s parent, or
• the person is a parent under the Family Law Act 1975 (for example, where the child was born as a result of artificial conception, surrogacy or to recognised same-sex couples).

After we register your case, we send you a Child Support assessment. You do not have to work out your assessment yourself—we work it out for you. If your case details change at any time, you should let us know and we will send you an updated or new assessment.

The basic formula applies to parents with one child support assessment and no other dependent children. This is the formula we use for most child support assessments.

Read more about the basic formula for calculating Child Support

You can apply for Child Support if you are a parent with children from a previous same-sex relationship and meet the legislative requirements of the Family Law Act.

Read more about the same-sex parents and Child Support

Child Support is calculated to recognise shared parenting and the contribution each parent makes towards the costs of the children through direct care.

Read more about care arrangements and their effect on Child Support

The calculations for parents with two or more Child Support assessments are a little more involved, yet still based on the basic formula.

If you pay or receive Child Support for two or more families, we deduct an amount—called a multi-case allowance—after we deduct the self-support amount and any relevant dependent child amount from your adjusted taxable income, to work out your Child Support income. We then apply the basic formula.

The multi-case allowance recognises your responsibility for supporting your children in other Child Support cases. We work out the multi-case cost for each child according to their age and how much it would cost if all the children were living with you.

Where a paying parent has multiple cases, the formula uses a multi-case cap to determine the maximum amount of Child Support payable. The multi-case cap ensures you do not pay more in Child Support than it would cost if you had all your children that need Child Support payments living with you.

To ensure your Child Support assessment is eligible, we need to determine your and the other parent’s residency status. Normally we can only accept a Child Support assessment if the parent paying Child Support is a resident of Australia or a reciprocating jurisdiction (an overseas country Australia has a Child Support arrangement with). Determining residency status is important, because some parents living in non-reciprocating jurisdictions may still legally be considered residents of Australia or a reciprocating jurisdiction. See Child Support for parents or children living overseas for a list of reciprocating jurisdictions or call us on 131 272 for more information about determining residency status.

To apply for a Child Support assessment, complete the online Application for Child Support assessment form.You can also apply over the phone by calling 131 272.

If you provide care for a child and you are not the parent, you may be able to receive Child Support from both the child’s parents if you apply for a Child Support assessment.

Read more about applying for Child Support if you are a non-parent carer

Each parent’s income is considered in the same way and then combined to work out the costs of raising children. Each parent’s share of the total income shows how much of the children’s costs they should meet.

Read more about income considered when calculating Child Support

If you have other children who are legally yours and living with you, an amount for their support may be deducted from your income when calculating your Child Support. These children are called ‘relevant dependent children’.

Read more about how Child Support fits with your relevant dependent children

A minimum amount is payable under each Child Support assessment. A fixed assessment applies to a paying parent who reports a low taxable income and did not receive income support in the last relevant year of income (the financial year that ended before the start date of the relevant Child Support period).

Read more about minimum and fixed assessments

When you enter prison, a number of things will change that we need to know about so we can make sure your Child Support assessment is accurate.

Read more about Child Support responsibilities when you are in prison

When you leave on military deployment, a number of things will change that we need to know about so we can make sure your child support assessment is accurate.

Read more about Child Support responsibilities when you are being deployed

If your circumstances have changed or you believe your Child Support assessment does not reflect your current situation, you may be able to apply to have your assessment varied.

This will depend on whether you have a Child Support assessment or a court order, and whether the court order or assessment was made in Australia or overseas.

• If we made your assessment, you will need to contact us.
• If you have an Australian court order, you will need to get legal advice about how it can be varied.
• If you have an assessment made by an overseas authority, you will need to contact the country where the original assessment was made.
• If you have an overseas court order, you may be able to have this varied in Australia or in the country where the order was made. Seek legal advice if this is your situation.

If you believe your child support assessment does not reflect your, the other parent's or your children's special circumstances, you may be able to apply for a change of assessment.

Read more about changes to Child Support in special circumstances

The care estimator allows you to estimate the care percentage to be used in estimating Child Support payments.

Simply enter a start date and select the total nights of care you have for your children through the year. The care estimator will calculate and display the total nights of care, care percentage and care level.

The Child Support Guide is our technical resource, which outlines our approach to the administration of the Child Support Scheme.

The Parent’s Guide to Child Support has relevant and important information to help you understand Child Support, your rights and responsibilities and the services we offer.