If you’re self employed

If you get income from self employment, it may affect your payment from us. If your income changes, even by a small amount, you need to tell us.

You don’t need to report your or your partner’s income if both of the following apply:

• you get either Age Pension or Disability Support Payment (DSP) because you’re permanently blind
• you don’t get Rent Assistance.

If your partner is getting a payment from us, they’ll still need to report your income. They won’t need to report if they’re also blind, getting Age Pension or DSP and not getting Rent Assistance.

What to report

If you’re self employed, you must report both of the following:

• your business income
• any significant changes to your overall business income or expenses.

We use the information you give us to work out an annual income amount. We then use that amount to work out your fortnightly payment rate.

If you’re also working for an employer, you don’t need to include your business income in your fortnightly income reporting.

If you’re in a partnership, your share of the business income will depend on your business arrangement.

Other things we need to know

When you report your income, you must also tell us about any changes in your circumstances.

If you don’t, we may not pay you the right amount. This means you may not get the full payment amount, or you may have to pay us back.

Read more about Centrelink debts and overpayments.

Changes to child support

Changes in circumstances can change how much child support you get or pay.

If your Child Support online account is linked to myGov you can sign in now to tell us about changes to your circumstances.

Sign in to myGov

You can also call our general Child support enquiry line to tell us about changes.

Read more about changes that affect your child support.

When to report

If you get business income or if your business income changes, you need to tell us within 14 days.

Starting or stopping self employment

If you start self employment and get one of the following payments, you need to let us know. You also need to let us know if you stop working.

• ABSTUDY Living Allowance
• Age Pension
• Austudy
• Carer Payment
• Parenting Payment Single and Partnered
• Youth Allowance as a Student.

If you’ve linked your Centrelink online account to myGov you can tell us online.

Sign in to myGov

You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.

You must call your regular payment line to tell us when you start or stop self-employment if you either:

• get a different payment from us
• have a partner who gets Disability Support Pension.

How to report

Reporting online

If you don’t need to report regularly, you can tell us about changes to your or your partner’s income online.

If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, you can report through myGov.

Sign in to myGov

You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.

You must tell us about any changes to your income or assets within 14 days.

Reporting by phone

Call the Centrelink reporting line or your regular payment line. We can help you create a voiceprint to prove your identity faster when you call us.

If you still get report forms by post, you can call our Centrelink Employment Services Line.

If you’re reporting employment income from outside Australia, you can call our Centrelink international services line.

Correcting a mistake

If you make a mistake when you report, you can fix it.

You’ll need to upload evidence of changes to income that you already confirmed. This could be a new payslip.

If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, you can do this through myGov.

Sign in to myGov

You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.

You must tell us as soon as you can if you’ve made a mistake.

If you tell us you’ve made a mistake we may need more details. This is to make sure we’re paying you the right amount. We’ll let you know if we need more information from you.

Letting someone report for you

Someone close to you, or an organisation, can report for you. You’ll need to tell us if you want to set them up as a nominee.

Find out about getting someone to deal with us on your behalf.