What is the Family Tax Benefit?

Family Tax Benefit (FTB) is a 2-part payment for eligible families to help with the cost of raising children.

The Family Tax Benefit is made up of 2 parts:

• Part A — a payment made per child, depending on your family's circumstances.
• Part B — a payment made per family, to give extra help to families that need it.

Who is eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A?

To be eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A, you must:

• care for a dependent child
• meet the residence rules
• meet an income test

Family Tax Benefit child criteria

To be eligible, your child must be:

• aged 0 to 15 years
• aged 16 to 19 years and meet certain study requirements

The child must be in your care for at least 35% of the time. Your child must not be receiving other benefits, such as Youth Allowance.

Residence rules

You must be living in Australia and meet one of the following criteria:

• be an Australian citizen
• hold a permanent visa
• hold a Special Category visa
• hold a temporary visa, such as a partner provisional or temporary protection visa

Your child must meet these rules or be living with you.

The payments might be affected if you're living outside Australia. New arrivals to Australia may have to wait one year before they can get Family Tax Benefit Part A. But there are some exemptions.

Income test

The amount of FTB Part A you get will depend on your family income.

You must lodge a tax return at the end of the financial year. This needs to be completed within the 12 months following the end of the financial year. If you are not required to lodge a tax return you must notify Services Australia.

Any child support you receive will affect the payment.

Other requirements

To receive the payment, your child must also meet early childhood immunisation requirements. They also need to have a health check if they are turning 4 years old.

To find out more about eligibility, visit the Services Australia website.

How much does the Family Tax Benefit Part A pay?

The amount you receive depends on:

• your income
• the ages of the children in your care
• the number of children in your care

To find out more about FTB Part A payment rates, visit Services Australia.

The payments can either be made fortnightly or as a lump sum. Any lump sum will be paid at the end of the financial year to your bank, credit union or building society account.

Family Tax Benefit Part A can also include a supplement at the end of the financial year. This is calculated after Centrelink balances your family assistance payments.

How much you get depends on:

• how many children you have in your care
• if you share care with someone else
• your family's income
• the number of days you were eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part A

If you get Family Tax Benefit Part A, you may also be eligible for:

• Newborn Supplement and Newborn Upfront Payment
• Energy Supplement
• Multiple Birth Allowance
• Rent Assistance
• a Health Care Card

For more information about what you can claim, visit Centrelink's Payment and Service Finder.

What is Family Tax Benefit Part B?

Family Tax Benefit Part B gives extra help to single-parent families and non-parent carers. It also helps some families that only have one main income.

It recognises that you may not be able to work due to your circumstances or the age of your child.

Who is eligible for Family Tax Benefit Part B?

To be eligible to receive Family Tax Benefit Part B, you need to either:

• care for a dependent child aged under 13 years and be a member of a couple with one main income
• be a single parent or grandparent carer of a dependent child aged under 18 years (meeting study requirements if they're aged 16 to 18 years)

You must also:

• care for the child at least 35% of the time
• meet the Australian residence rules
• meet the income test for FTB Part B

You can't receive FTB Part B while you are receiving Parental Leave Pay.

To find out more about eligibility, visit the Services Australia website.

How much does the Family Tax Benefit Part B pay?

The amount of family Tax Benefit Part B you receive depends on the age of your youngest child and your income.

To find out more about Family Tax Benefit Part B payment rates, visit Services Australia.

Payments are made either fortnightly or as a lump sum at the end of the financial year to your bank, credit union or building society account.

The supplement is paid after you and your partner have lodged your income tax returns at the end of the financial year, or told Services Australia if you are not required to lodge a tax return.

You might also be eligible for:

• Energy Supplement
• Single Income Family Supplement

For more information about what you can claim, visit Centrelink's Payment and Service Finder.

How do I apply for Family Tax Benefit?

The easiest way to claim is online. To claim online, you need a myGov account linked to Centrelink. If you don't have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account, you will need to set them up.

If you can't claim online, you can either:

• call the Centrelink families line on 136 150 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm)
• go to a service centre

Resources and support

To find out more about Family Tax Benefit eligibility, or how to claim Family Tax Benefit, visit Services Australia.

For more information about what you can claim, visit Centrelink's Payment and Service Finder.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.