in this guide
You may have to pay tax if you get or will get any other taxable income in the tax year, for example income from employment. This guide will help you set up a voluntary tax amount we can deduct from your eligible Centrelink payment. We’ll send these tax amounts to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
The ATO will refund any tax amount we deduct from your payment that’s more than the tax you need to pay. You’ll get this at the end of the financial year.
The screenshots in this guide are from a computer. The page layout will look different if you’re using a mobile device.
Step 1: get started
Sign in to myGov or the myGov app and select Centrelink.
From your homepage, select MENU in the bar at the top of the screen on the left-hand side.
From the dropdown menu, select Payments and claims then select Manage payments, then Manage deductions.
Select Manage and add on the Deductions Summary page to view your current deductions.
Step 2: add a tax amount to deduct
If you have an existing tax arrangement, go to:
- Step 3 to update your tax amount to deduct arrangement
- Step 4 to cancel your tax amount to deduct arrangement.
To add a voluntary tax amount to deduct from your payment you must:
- get a taxable payment, and
- not have an existing arrangement to deduct tax.
You can have other deductions in place. For example, you can have more than one Centrepay deduction but only one arrangement to deduct tax.
To set up a voluntary tax amount from your payment, select Add deduction.
Select Begin.
The next page will ask you to select what type of deduction you’d like to add. Select Tax, then select Next.
You can choose to deduct an amount or percentage of your payment.
To choose an amount to deduct, select Have an amount deducted every fortnight then select Next.
Enter the dollar amount you want deducted, then select Next.
To have a percentage deducted, select Have a percentage of my taxable payment deducted then select Next.
Enter the percentage you want deducted, then select Next.
From the dropdown menu, select the date you’d like it to start, then select Next.
Select Continue. Go to Step 5.
Step 3: update a tax amount for us to deduct
To update a voluntary tax amount, you must:
- get a taxable payment
- have an existing tax amount to deduct arrangement.
To update your current tax amount to deduct, select Manage.
Select Edit.
Select Begin.
To have an amount deducted, select Have an amount deducted every fortnight, then select Next.
We’ll show the date the changes will start from.
Enter the dollar amount you want deducted, then select Next.
To have a percentage deducted, select Have a percentage of my taxable payment deducted, then Next.
We’ll show the date when the changes will start.
Enter the percentage you want deducted, then select Next.
Select Continue. Go to Step 5.
Step 4: cancel a tax amount for us to deduct
To cancel a voluntary tax amount to deduct arrangement, you must both:
- get a taxable payment
- have an existing tax amount to deduct arrangement.
To cancel your current tax deduction, select Manage.
Select Cancel.
Select Begin.
Select Yes or No to cancel the deduction, then select Next.
Select Continue.
Step 5: review and submit
Select Continue to review a summary of the details you’ve provided.
Check the details on the page and make sure they’re correct. If the details are:
- wrong, select Edit to make changes
- correct, select Next.
Read the declaration. If you understand and agree with the declaration, select I have read and agree with the above conditions, then Submit.
Get your receipt
We’ll give you a Receipt ID when you submit your update. Make a note of this number for your records.
You don’t need to contact us unless we ask you to.
Select:
- Information you provided to view a summary of the details you’ve given us.
- Save your receipt to keep a copy of your receipt.
Select Return home to go back to the Deductions summary page.
Managing your deductions
Select Manage and add to view your current deductions.
Select Manage for the current deduction you updated.
The Manage deduction page shows the full details of the deduction. Select Home to go back to your online account homepage.
Step 6: sign out
From your homepage, you can complete other transactions or select Return to myGov to go back to your myGov account.
For your privacy and security, sign out when you’ve finished using your myGov account.
View other online account and Express Plus mobile app guides and video demonstrations about using your online account.