Family Tax Benefit and lodging your income tax return
You and your partner must lodge an income tax return or tell the Family Assistance Office that you are not required to do so. The Australian Taxation Office can tell you whether you are required to lodge a tax return. If you do not do either of these things, any Family Tax Benefit you have received will become a debt and will have to be repaid.
If you do not lodge your income tax return
You may no longer receive your Family Tax Benefit on a fortnightly basis if you or your current partner:
- do not lodge your income tax return(s) and as a result, a debt is raised, or
- advise the Family Assistance Office you are not required to lodge your income tax return(s) within the required timeframe.
This may also apply where you and your current partner have outstanding debts as a result of not lodging required income tax returns for past years when you were in receipt of Family Tax Benefit.
If your payment is cancelled
Should you and your current partner continue to receive debts as a result of not lodging your income tax return(s), your Family Tax Benefit may be cancelled and neither you nor your current partner will be eligible to be paid until the debts are resolved or the outstanding income tax returns are lodged.
The quickest and easiest way to advise Centrelink that you do not need to lodge a tax return is to use Online Services. Alternatively you can call Centrelink on 13 6150.
More information
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