The financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June. We balance your FTB after the financial year ends and you get your last payment. We balance CCS from mid-August.
If you got FTB or CCS, you need to confirm your family income for us to balance your payment. If you had a partner during this time, they’ll need to do this as well.
At the end of each financial year, we’ll compare your income estimate with your actual income. This is how we check you got the right amount. This is called balancing. Most families need to do something before we can balance their FTB or CCS.
Most parents who have a child support assessment need to lodge a tax return.
When you lodge a tax return with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), your taxable income is provided to us so we can balance your FTB and CCS. Child support will also use it to confirm your income.
1: Check what you need to do at tax time
You can use our tax time tool to understand what you need to do at tax time. You’ll need to answer some questions to see what you need to do.
2: Did you get FTB or CCS in the 2025-26 financial year?
Answer yes if you chose to get your FTB fortnightly, including if you chose zero rate as your payment option. If you chose this option, you wouldn’t have gotten any FTB throughout the financial year. This is different to claiming as a lump sum.
3: Did you pay or receive child support in the 2025-26 financial year?
4: Do you want to claim FTB as a lump sum?
You can’t claim CCS as a lump sum.
5: Do you need to lodge a tax return for the 2025-26 financial year?
Parents who pay or receive child support need to lodge a tax return or a non-lodgement advice with the ATO and confirm their income in their Child Support online account. Find out more about what to do at tax time if you pay or receive child support.
To check if you need to lodge, use the Do I need to lodge a tax return? tool on the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website.
6: Were you single in the 2025-26 financial year?
If your relationship status changed during 2025-26, answer based on your current situation.
If you answer no to this question, we’ll assume you’re partnered. Find out more about how we define relationships and relationship changes.
7: Were you single in the 2025-26 financial year?
If your relationship status changed during 2025-26, answer based on your current situation.
If you answer no, we’ll assume you’re partnered. Find out more about how we define relationships and relationship changes.
8: Were you single for the entire 2025-26 financial year?
Answer no if you had a partner at any time in the 2025-26 financial year.
9: Were you single for the entire 2025-26 financial year?
Answer no if you had a partner at any time in the 2025-26 financial year.
10: Did you get an income support payment in the 2025-26 financial year?
An income support payment is a payment you get to help with the cost of living, such as Parenting Payment.
11: Did you get an income support payment in the 2025-26 financial year?
An income support payment is a payment you get to help with the cost of living, such as Parenting Payment.
12: Did you get an income support payment for the entire 2025-26 financial year?
Answer no if you had any gaps in your payment. For example, if your payment was cancelled or reduced to zero because you earned income, that counts as a gap.
13: Did you get an income support payment for the entire 2025-26 financial year?
Answer no if you had any gaps in your payment. For example, if your payment was cancelled or reduced to zero because you earned income, that counts as a gap.
14: Does your partner need to lodge a tax return for the 2025-26 financial year?
If you’re unsure, use the Do I need to lodge a tax return? tool on the ATO website.
15: Does your partner need to lodge a tax return for the 2025-26 financial year?
If you’re unsure, use the Do I need to lodge a tax return? tool on the ATO website.
16: FTB and CCS
If you don’t want to claim FTB as a lump sum, there’s nothing else you need to do. If you change your mind and want to claim, you need to do this by 30 June 2027. If you miss this deadline, you won’t get any FTB for the 2025-26 financial year.
You can’t claim CCS as a lump sum.
If you pay or receive child support
Parents who have a child support assessment need to lodge a tax return or a non-lodgement advice with the ATO and confirm their income in their Child Support online account. This helps us make sure your child support payments are correct. Find out more about what to do at tax time if you pay or receive child support.
If you’re looking for other assistance, use our Payment and Service Finder.
17: FTB
You need to submit a lump sum claim. The deadline to claim FTB for the 2025-26 financial year is 30 June 2027. If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to submit a claim.
If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account, you’ll need to create them.
You also need to confirm your income by lodging your tax return with the ATO by 30 June 2027. If you have a partner, they’ll need to lodge a tax return too. If you or your partner don’t need to lodge, you can tell us your income in your claim.
To check if you need to lodge, use the ATO’s Do I need to lodge a tax return? tool.
If you pay or receive child support
Parents who have a child support assessment need to lodge a tax return or a non-lodgement advice with the ATO and confirm their income in their Child Support online account. This helps us make sure your child support payments are correct. Find out more about what to do at tax time if you pay or receive child support.
18: FTB and CCS
You need to tell us if you’re not lodging a tax return. If you got CCS, you’ll need to confirm your income with us too. You need to do this even if you had no income or you’ve already told the ATO. Then, we can balance your payments.
If you have a Centrelink account that’s linked to myGov, sign in and tell us you don’t need to lodge now.
If you don’t have a Centrelink online account linked to myGov, you’ll need to set this up.
You can tell us using either your:
If you got an emergency payment, you must include this amount when you advise non-lodgement and confirm your income.
Find out more about how we balance your FTB and how we balance your CCS.
We balance FTB and CCS separately.
We balance your FTB when you get your final FTB payment for the financial year, and you’ve confirmed your family income.
We start balancing CCS for 2025-26 from mid-August. We can only balance your CCS when we have your income and child care attendance information.
Find out how we balance your FTB and balance your CCS if you separated from your partner or your partner died during the financial year.
If you pay or receive child support
Parents who have a child support assessment need to lodge a tax return or a non-lodgement advice with the ATO and confirm their income in their Child Support online account. This helps us make sure your child support payments are correct.
Find out more about what to do at tax time if you pay or receive child support.
19: FTB and CCS
We balance FTB and CCS separately.
We’ll balance your FTB for you and check if you’re eligible for any supplements. Find out when we’ll balance your FTB.
We start balancing CCS from mid-August. We can only balance your CCS when we have your income and child care attendance information.
If you got CCS, you need to tell us if you’re not lodging a tax return. If you’ve already told the ATO, you still need to tell us and confirm your income. Then, we can balance your payments.
If you have a Centrelink account that’s linked to myGov, sign in and tell us you don’t need to lodge now.
If you don’t have a Centrelink online account linked to myGov, you’ll need to set this up.
You can tell us using either your:
If you got an emergency payment, you must include this amount when you advise non-lodgement and confirm your income.
Find out more about how we balance your FTB and how we balance your CCS.
If you pay or receive child support
Parents who have a child support assessment need to lodge a tax return or a non-lodgement advice with the ATO and confirm their income in their Child Support online account. This helps us make sure your child support payments are correct.
Find out more about what to do at tax time if you pay or receive child support.
20: FTB and CCS
Your partner needs to lodge their tax return so that we can balance your FTB and CCS. Find out how to lodge your tax return on the ATO website.
If you got CCS and you’ve already told the ATO that you’re not lodging a tax return, you still need to tell us and confirm your income. You must do this even if you had no income. Then, we can balance your payments.
If you have a Centrelink account that’s linked to myGov, sign in and tell us you don’t need to lodge now.
If you don’t have a Centrelink online account linked to myGov, you’ll need to set this up.
You can also tell us using either your:
Find out more about how we balance your FTB and how we balance your CCS.
We balance FTB and CCS separately.
We balance your FTB when you get your final FTB payment for the financial year and we have all your family’s income details.
We start balancing CCS from mid-August. We can only balance your CCS when we have all your family’s income and child care attendance information.
Find out how we balance your FTB and balance your CCS if you separated from your partner or your partner died during the financial year.
If you pay or receive child support
Parents who have a child support assessment need to lodge a tax return or a non-lodgement advice with the ATO and confirm their income in their Child Support online account. This helps us make sure your child support payments are correct.
Find out more about what to do at tax time if you pay or receive child support.
21: FTB and CCS
You’ll need to tell us if you and your partner don’t need to lodge a tax return. This is so we can balance your FTB and CCS.
If you got CCS and you’ve already told the ATO that you’re not lodging a tax return, you still need to confirm your income with us. You must do this even if you had no income.
If you have a Centrelink account that’s linked to myGov, sign in and tell us you and your partner don’t need to lodge now.
If you don’t have a Centrelink online account linked to myGov, you’ll need to set this up.
You can also tell us using either your:
Find out more about how we balance your FTB and how we balance your CCS.
We balance FTB and CCS separately.
We balance your FTB when you get your final FTB payment for the financial year, and we have all your family’s income details.
We start balancing CCS from mid-August. We can only balance your CCS when we have all your family’s income and child care attendance information.
Find out how we balance your FTB and balance your CCS if you separated from your partner or your partner died during the financial year.
If you pay or receive child support
Parents who have a child support assessment need to lodge a tax return or a non-lodgement advice with the ATO and confirm their income in their Child Support online account. This helps us make sure your child support payments are correct.
Find out more about what to do at tax time if you pay or receive child support.
22: FTB and CCS
You and your partner both need to lodge a tax return so that we can balance your FTB and CCS. Find out how to lodge your tax return on the ATO website.
Find out more about how we balance your FTB and how we balance your CCS.
We balance FTB and CCS separately.
We balance your FTB when you get your final FTB payment for the financial year, and the ATO sends us your and your partner’s income information. This can take up to 28 days from when you get your notice of assessment.
We start balancing CCS from mid-August. We can only balance your CCS when we have all your family’s income and child care attendance information.
Find out how we balance your FTB and balance your CCS if you separated from your partner or your partner died during the financial year.
If you pay or receive child support
Parents who have a child support assessment need to lodge a tax return or a non-lodgement advice with the ATO and confirm their income in their Child Support online account. This helps us make sure your child support payments are correct.
Find out more about what to do at tax time if you pay or receive child support.
23: FTB and CCS
You need to lodge a tax return so we can balance your FTB and CCS. Find out how to lodge your tax return on the ATO website.
You also need to let us know if your partner doesn’t need to lodge a tax return and confirm their income. You need to do this even if they had no income. If you got CCS, you need to tell us even if your partner has already told the ATO they don’t need to lodge a tax return.
If you have a Centrelink account that’s linked to myGov, sign in and tell us they don’t need to lodge now.
If you don’t have a Centrelink online account linked to myGov, you’ll need to set this up.
You can also tell us using either your:
Find out more about how we balance your FTB and how we balance your CCS.
We balance FTB and CCS separately.
We balance your FTB when you get your final FTB payment for the financial year, and the ATO sends us your income information. This can take up to 28 days from when you get your notice of assessment.
We start balancing CCS from mid-August. We can only balance your CCS when we have all your family’s income and child care attendance information.
Find out how we balance your FTB and balance your CCS if you separated from your partner or your partner died during the financial year.
If you pay or receive child support
Parents who have a child support assessment need to lodge a tax return or a non-lodgement advice with the ATO and confirm their income in their Child Support online account. This helps us make sure your child support payments are correct.
Find out more about what to do at tax time if you pay or receive child support.
24: FTB and CCS
We balance FTB and CCS separately.
We’ll balance your FTB for you and check if you’re eligible for any supplements. Find out when we’ll balance your FTB.
We start balancing CCS from mid-August.
If you got CCS, you need to lodge your tax return so we can balance your payment. Find out how to lodge your tax return on the ATO website.
Once the ATO sends us your income information, we can balance your CCS. This balancing process can take up to 28 days from when you get your notice of assessment.
If you pay or receive child support
Parents who have a child support assessment need to lodge a tax return or a non-lodgement advice with the ATO and confirm their income in their Child Support online account. This helps us make sure your child support payments are correct.
Find out more about what to do at tax time if you pay or receive child support.
25: FTB and CCS
You need to lodge your tax return so we can balance your FTB and CCS. Find out how to lodge your tax return on the ATO website.
Find out more about how we balance your FTB and how we balance your CCS.
We balance FTB and CCS separately.
We balance your FTB when you get your final FTB payment for the financial year, and the ATO sends us your income information. This can take up to 28 days from when you get your notice of assessment.
We’ll start balancing your CCS from mid-August. We can only balance your CCS when we have your income and child care attendance information.
Find out how we balance your FTB and balance your CCS if you separated from your partner or your partner died during the financial year.
If you pay or receive child support
Parents who have a child support assessment need to lodge a tax return or a non-lodgement advice with the ATO and confirm their income in their Child Support online account. This helps us make sure your child support payments are correct.
Find out more about what to do at tax time if you pay or receive child support.