I am a smart person yet I cannot work out how to claim the child care rebate

[FabFiona]

Heck, I even work for the Federal Government! I'll definitely be giving my feedback to Macklin's office!

How to claim the child care rebate is completely eluding me. I have looked on the FAO and Centrelink website and there is no simple guide for me.

Mitchell and I both have Centrelink CRN's and I have registed for Centrelink online services. I get emailed statements from his child care centre. I know I am not eligible for CCB but am eligible for CCR.

If anyone who is clearly more intelligent and superior to me can enlighten me as to how it work as and how I go about claiming it that would be fabulous.

Ta,
Fiona

[thepixie]

OK you are so not alone in this. You can probably emigrate to a range of countries without having to complete as much paperwork as you do for this .... First you need to claim for the Child Care Benefit - even if you are not eligible for it. Yep, you read that right. Once you fill out that 90 page form, they will send you a letter saying you are rated to receive 0% CCB, then you can apply for the CCR, another 90 page form which will bore you to tears of frustration and bewilderment with its complexity. Then if you have any back pay to claim, there is a further form to fill out at the end of the financial year, which is yet another 90 pages of the ins and outs of a duck's backside, with all sorts of totally irrelevant information I am sure you are dying to share with Centrelink. I was able to get all the forms from a FAO office after explaining in minute detail what I wanted to do. however I am still trying to regain the will to live after filling them out. I did all the forms in hard copy, so I am not sure about the online versions, someone else can probably fill you in. And yes, I have two degrees and it nearly drove me insane.
Hope that helps

[FabFiona]

Thanks for that. Reading your reply is leaving me with an overwhelming desire to scratch my eyes out. I will probably find that more enjoyable.

Do I have to do to that every quarter? oh my...

[thepixie]

No only once for each form - CCB, CCTR and the back pay form. After you have done it once it just keeps going. But as you can see I am still scarred and I did it a year ago (and the back pay form is continuing to languish on the dining room table unfinished).

[Bern]

i never filled any forms out... done it all over the phone. but that was almost 4 years ago... maybe its changed?

[Mum2SweetCs]

ehehhe thanks for the laugh girls.

I dont even know how i got the claim but i dont recall it being that hard (they probably changed it because it was too easy and not cryptic enough). My friend had problems and in the end she claimed for the wrong thing hheheh

[Tuesday's Child]

I too had a giggle reading your posts.

I'm just claiming it at the end of the financial year. It might not be any simpler but at least I don't have to worry about under/overestimating our income.