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We need you to tell us so we can confirm your income details. We use your confirmed income, which is also known as your adjusted taxable income, to balance your payments.
It is important to keep in mind that we balance CCS and balance FTB separately.
Why you may need to lodge a tax return
Sometimes you may actually need to lodge a tax return, even if you think you don’t need to. You may need to lodge a tax return if you had any of the following:
- taxable income above the tax free threshold
- tax withheld, even if your income is below the tax free threshold
- a child support assessment.
To check if you need to lodge a return, there’s help available.
Use the Do I need to lodge a tax return tool on the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website.
If you need to lodge a tax return, it’s important you don’t lodge your tax return too early. If you lodge before your payment information is pre-filled in myTax, you may have to amend your tax return later.
How to tell us about non-lodgement
You need to tell us if you or your partner don’t need to lodge a tax return. If you have a Centrelink online account that’s linked to myGov, you can sign in to do this and confirm your income for 2021-22.
If you don’t have this set up, you’ll need to use either your:
You also need to tell us your or your partner’s adjusted taxable income for the financial year.
We have 2 online guides that show you how to advise non-lodgement of tax return. You can choose one of the following:
- Advise non-lodgement of tax return using your Centrelink online account through myGov
- Advise non-lodgement of tax return using your Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
If you separated from a partner during the year and received CCS, we can’t balance your CCS until income for you and your ex-partner is confirmed. Please call the Families line if you have any concerns about confirming your ex-partner’s income.
Read more about what you need to do on Balancing Child Care Subsidy.
When to tell us
You can advise non lodgement after the end of each financial year.
It’s best to wait until mid July to tell us. This is so we have time to get any pre fill income information.
Pre filled information can include:
- Employee payroll information supplied by your employer to the ATO, such as your Salary and wages and Pay as you go (PAYG) withholdings
- Centrelink income support payments.
Pre fill information will help you to provide more accurate income when advising non-lodgement.
If you got Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment (PLDP) this won’t be prefilled. You must include this amount when you advise non-lodgement and confirm your income. Read more about tax treatment of disaster payments at reporting disaster payments and grants in your tax return on the ATO website.
You must tell us within the time limit.
If we don’t accept your non-lodgement advice
Sometimes you will provide information or we will have information that shows that you or your partner may need to lodge a tax return.
If this happens, we will let you know that we cannot accept your non-lodgement advice. You or your partner will then need to submit a tax return or a non-lodgement advice with the ATO.