Family Tax Benefit
A two part payment that helps with the cost of raising children.
Eligibility basics
- have a dependent child or secondary student younger than 20 years of age who is not receiving a pension, payment or benefit such as Youth Allowance
- provide care for the child for at least 35% of the time
- meet an income test
Eligibility & payment rates
Eligibility for FTB Part A
Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A is paid for each child. The amount you get is based on your family’s circumstances.
You may be eligible for FTB Part A if you care for a dependent child who is:
- 0 to 15 years of age, or
- 16 to 19 years of age, and
- is undertaking full time education or training in an approved course leading towards a year 12 or equivalent qualification
- has an acceptable study load, or
- has been granted an exemption from education or training requirements
If you are eligible for FTB Part A for a dependent child who is 16 to 19 years of age, it can be paid until the end of the calendar year that they turn 19 years of age as long as they are in full time secondary study.
Home schooling for children 16 to 19 years of age does not satisfy study requirements for FTB.
You must also satisfy an income test, meet residence requirements and care for the child at least 35% of the time.
If you are separated from the child’s other parent, you will need to take reasonable steps to obtain child support. Otherwise, you may only be eligible for the base rate of FTB Part A.
If you are eligible for FTB Part A for a child who was recently born or adopted, you may also be eligible for Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement. Newborn Supplement is a component of FTB Part A and is paid over a 3 month period with your regular fortnightly FTB Part A payment.
Immunisation requirements for FTB Part A supplement
For you to be eligible for FTB Part A supplement, your children need to:
- be up to date with their immunisations, according to the early childhood vaccination schedule appropriate to your child's age
- Be on a recognised immunisation catch up schedule, or
- have a medical exemption
Read more about immunising your children.
Eligibility for FTB Part B
Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part B gives extra assistance to:
- single parents
- non parent carers such as grandparents, great grandparents, and
- couples 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.
If you are a member of a couple, you may be eligible for FTB Part B if you care for a dependent child 12 years of age or younger at least 35% of the time.
If you are a single parent, grandparent or great grandparent carer, you may be eligible for FTB Part B if you care for a child at least 35% of the time and the child is:
- younger than 16 years of age, or
- a full time secondary student, up until the end of the calendar year in which they turn 18 years of age
To tell us you are a grandparent carer, call us.
Home schooling for children 16 to 19 years of age does not satisfy study requirements for FTB.
The rate of FTB Part B is based on an income test. You also need to meet residence requirements.
Neither you nor your partner can receive FTB Part B during your Paid Parental Leave period, but it may be paid after your Paid Parental Leave period ends.
Eligible carers
You may be eligible for FTB Part B if you are a:
- parent
- guardian
- foster carer
- grandparent
- great grandparent, or
- another non parent carer
Immunisation requirements
Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A supplement and Child Care Benefit can only be paid for children who have met immunisation requirements.
Payment rates for FTB Part A
The amount of Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A you get depends on your actual family income, how many children you have and how old they are.
Payment rates for FTB Part B
The amount of Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part B you get usually depends on the age of your youngest child.
Income test for FTB Part A
In most cases, we work out your FTB Part A payment using 2 income tests. We will apply the test that gives you the highest rate of payment.
Income test for FTB Part B
Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part B is for single parents and couples where the primary earner has an adjusted taxable income of $100,000 or less per year.
Support for grandparent carers for FTB
Extra assistance if you are a grandparent caring for your grandchildren.
FTB when your child completes year 12
Your payments will stop when your child reaches a certain age and study level. If your child is 16 to 19 years of age, your payments will stop:
- from the date your child stops studying without completing year 12 or an equivalent qualification
- 28 days after your child completes their year 12 or an equivalent qualification if completed before November
- on 31 December if your child completes year 12 or an equivalent qualification in November or December, or
- on 31 December if your child is 19 years of age and still in full time secondary study
Adjusted taxable income
Your adjusted taxable income will be used to assess your eligibility for some payments, supplements, support and benefits.
Residence requirements for FTB Part A and 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 either:
- have Australian citizenship
- hold a permanent visa
- hold a Special Category Visa, or
- hold a certain temporary visa type, for example a Partner Provisional 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.
Healthy Start for School
If your child is turning 4 years of age, they may need to have a health check for you to get Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A supplement.
Claiming
Once you have read about eligibility the next steps are:
- decide how you will receive your payment - fortnightly or annually
- submit your claim online
- provide supporting documentation
We will assess your claim and advise you of the outcome.
Managing your payment
Time period for submitting lump sum claims and confirming income
You have 1 year to submit a lump sum claim and confirm your income for that financial year.
Read more about time periods to submit lump sum claims and confirm income
Try self service
Do your Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support business using self service options, including our Express Plus mobile apps, online accounts and phone self service.
Read more about using self service
Your family income estimate
Your family income estimate is used to work out how much family assistance you get.
Change of circumstances
If you do not tell us when your circumstances change, you may be doing the wrong thing.
Balancing your family assistance payments
At the start of each financial year, we ask you to estimate your family income so we can work out how much Family Tax Benefit or Child Care Benefit to pay you.
Payment choices
There are 2 ways that you can claim Family Tax Benefit (FTB):
Advance payment options
You may be eligible to receive part of your income support payment in advance, depending on how long you have been getting it and the amount that you get.
While travelling outside Australia
There are rules about how long your Family Tax Benefit can be paid while you or your dependent children travel outside Australia.
Read more about Family Tax Benefit while travelling outside Australia
Child support and your Family Tax Benefit Part A
Child support payments and Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A are closely linked. Child support may affect the amount of FTB you receive.
Resources
Manage your money
Getting control of your money can be hard, but we’ve got some great advice and tools to help. Read more about budgeting, borrowing and credit, and managing debt, to help manage your money.
Related services
- Bereavement Payment
- Centrelink online accounts
- Child Dental Benefits Schedule
- Child support assessment
- Dad and Partner Pay
- Double Orphan Pension
- Energy Supplement
- Foster Child Health Care Card
- Health Care Card
- Medicare Safety Net
- Newborn Upfront Payment and Newborn Supplement
- Parenting Payment
- Rent Assistance
- Single Income Family Supplement
Page last updated: 21 November 2016