• Skip to content
  • Skip to site navigation
  • Department of Human Services
  • www.australia.gov.au

Centrelink

www.centrelink.gov.au

  • Home page
  • About us
  • Site A to Z   Explore   Help
  • Contact us   Find us
  •  Online services
    • all services
    • claiming a payment
    • FAQs
    • how to logon
    • online demonstrations
    • register
    • report employment income
  •  Individuals
    • caring
    • crisis and special help
    • help after someone has died
    • illness or disability
    • looking for work
    • moved to Australia
    • parent or guardian
    • retirement
    • self employed or farmer
    • studying or training
    • payments
    • services
  •  Businesses
    • centrepay
    • childcare providers
    • Centrelink confirmation eServices
    • employer FAQs
    • employer information
  •  Community groups
  •  Indigenous Australians
    • ABSTUDY
    • programs
    • publications
  •  We speak your language
  •  International
    • claim forms
    • international services
    • leaving Australia permanently
    • leaving Australia temporarily
    • social security agreements
  •  Community recovery
    • South West Queensland Floods - March 2010
    • Western Australia Bushfires - December 2009
    • NSW Mid-North Coast Floods - November 2009
    • Sumatra Earthquakes
    • Samoan Tsunami
  •  Forms
    • Forms A to Z
    • claim forms
    • how to order
  •  Publications
    • Publications A to Z
    • business
    • community
    • corporate
    • customer
    • how to order
    • indigenous
    • multilingual
  •  Careers@Centrelink
  •  Media
    • Centrelink media releases
    • fact bank
    • media contacts
    • media resources
    • other media releases
    • photo library
    • press kits
    • subscription service
  •  What's new
Factors
  • share
    this page:
  • Share this on Delicious
  • Share this on Facebook
  • Share this on LinkedIn
  • Share this on StumbleUpon
  • Share this on Twitter
  • You are here:
  • Home  > 
  • Individuals  >  Factors  > 
  • Disposing of assets
listen to this page

Disposing of assets

If you dispose of an asset or make a gift

Gifting is a term used when you or your partner:

  • give away assets, including transferring assets for less than market value, and
  • do not receive adequate consideration for the gift or transfer in the form of money, goods or services.

We also use the term "deprived asset" for a gift.

You or your partner can give away money or other assets to any value you choose at any time, but the rate of income support payment you receive may be affected if you gift assets worth more than the allowable gifting amount or ' free area'.

The gifting rules are:

  • there is an allowable gifting amount or free area for a single person or a couple of $10,000 in a single financial year, and
  • there is an allowable gifting amount or free area for a single person or a couple of $30,000 over a 5 year rolling period. The rolling 5 year period is the current financial year plus the previous 4 financial years.

Any asset or amount that you gift over and above either the $10,000 in a single year free area or the $30,000 5 year free area is treated as a gift or deprived asset for five years from the date of disposal.

Gifts are:

  • included in your assets until the 5th anniversary of the date of the gift, and
  • deemed to earn income in the same way as financial assets.

Any amounts you disposed of or gifted in the 5 years immediately before you were granted a payment can also be considered.

Gifting includes:

  • money or any asset you have transferred to members of the family or other relatives
  • gifts to other people or charities
  • gifts to private trusts or companies where you or your partner are not the controller of the trust or company
  • assets sold for less than their market value
  • relinquishing control of a private trust or company. If you do this you will be considered to have gifted all the assets held by the trust or company
  • transferring your shares in a private company or units in a fixed trust and you do not receive full market value for them.

Gifting does not include you selling or reducing your assets to meet normal expenses, for example, to buy consumer goods like a fridge or washing machine, for home maintenance/improvements, or to pay for holidays. Nor does it include payments for services received, e.g. lawn mowing.

More information

  • refer to Financial Information Service
  • visit your nearest Customer Service Centre

[ return to top ]

Service Delivery Reform

Service delivery that is easy, high quality and works for all Australians

New Disability Employment Services

Changes to Disability Employment Services from 1 March 2010

Centrelink Jobs Expos

Join us in NSW during March and be a part of Keep Australia Working

Explore www.centrelink.gov.au

Online services

  • all services
  • claiming a payment
  • FAQs
  • how to logon
  • online demonstrations
  • register
  • report employment income

Individuals

  • caring
  • crisis and special help
  • help after someone has died
  • illness or disability
  • looking for work
  • moved to Australia
  • parent or guardian
  • payments
  • retirement
  • self employed or farmer
  • services
  • studying or training

Businesses

  • centrepay
  • childcare providers
  • Centrelink confirmation eServices
  • employer FAQs
  • employer info

Community groups

Indigenous Australians

  • ABSTUDY
  • programs
  • publications

We speak your language

International

  • claim forms
  • international services
  • leaving Australia permanently
  • leaving Australia temporarily
  • social security agreements

Community recovery

  • South West Queensland Floods
  • Western Australia Bushfires
  • NSW Mid-North Coast Floods
  • Sumatra Earthquakes
  • Samoan Tsunami

Forms

  • forms a to z
  • claim forms
  • how to order

Publications

  • publications a to z
  • business
  • community
  • corporate
  • customer
  • how to order
  • indigenous
  • multilingual

Careers@Centrelink

Media

  • Centrelink media releases
  • fact bank
  • media contacts
  • media resources
  • other media releases
  • photo library
  • press kits
  • subscription service

What's new

  • accessibility
  • copyright
  • disclaimer
  • website feedback
  • help
  • privacy & security
  • your rights
  • Centrelink ABN: 29 468 422 437
  • Page last updated: 23 October 2009