Tax and family benifits

[CinderToriella]

Do i need to be up to date with my tax to receive family benefits eg parenting payment and family tax benefit A and B

[Mum2Romone]

Yes and if you owe money to the tax dept they will take your family tax benefit or even part of your baby bonus.
Last year they took all my payment for a fortnight, $900 for tax..... but if youre up to date.... you wont have any problems..... Do you owe money or just havent done your tax..?

[CinderToriella]

just not up to date with my tax

[Pandora]

I'm not sure. I think it goes on your current year income estimate, so you would just need to give an estimate

eta how far behind are you?

[Lulu]

Everyones tax needs to be up to date to recieve top ups/rebates for end of year.

BUT if you are talking about fortnightly payments, I don't think so. You just need to show payslips (or lack of them for PP) and give an estimate of your yearly income for FTB.

[AliBaby]

I owe money to the tax man and I still get my fortnightly payments of FTB and I got the Baby Bonus however when I did my tax return and I was due for a return of about $700 they took that instantly. I still owe more!

[briggsy's girl]

ftb has changed over the last couple of years that you need to be up to date with tax to receive it. for the 09 financial year, if oyu haven't done your tax, your ftb may be suspended from late 2010 i believe (not sure on exact dates)

our fortnightly payments will not be stopped if you have a tax debt. your supplement payments (the lump sum at the end of financial year) and any ftb you are owed for over estimating your income will be taken for tax debts if they exist - or tax returns taken to pay back ftb debts.

parenting payment is for low income families - your tax status is irrelevant to this UNLESS you own a business or are self employed and need to have records of your income for payment purposes

mum2ramone - i would be checking up on the actual reason for missed payment - the only way they would take a payment is as i said. if you missed a payment because you were suspended due to tax, you may get that back at tax time. 900 sounds more like your supplement payments (once tax is finalised) were claimed back to pay your tax debt - NOT your normal fortnightly installment

[allycat06]

once you've filed your tax return and you start receiving your benefits they will backpay you from the DOB of your bub, that's what happened with us anyway. I'd done mine but DH hadn't.

[Mum2Romone]

Yes it was at tax time that they took it but they also suspend your payments until you pay... I lost a fortnights payments until I paid the rest... this was last tax time...

Maybe it was because they expected my husband to pay my debt. i dont know.
Id put your tax in Shell if you can... so you wont end up owing anything later...

[briggsy's girl]

i've never heard of ftb being suspended to pay an ATO debt. ever.

the system changed to allow them to suspend payments if you haven't done your taxes by a certain time - but nothing is in place that allows for ftb payments to be suspended due to an ATO debt. it's only the reconciliation amounts that can be used for that purpose.not your normal fortnightly payments. i would be questioning what happened as that doesn't sound right at all

[AliBaby]

i've never heard of ftb being suspended to pay an ATO debt. ever.

the system changed to allow them to suspend payments if you haven't done your taxes by a certain time - but nothing is in place that allows for ftb payments to be suspended due to an ATO debt. it's only the reconciliation amounts that can be used for that purpose.not your normal fortnightly payments. i would be questioning what happened as that doesn't sound right at all

Yep BG I think you are right as that is exactly what happened with mine. In the last year I have not had a single fortnightly FTB payment taken only the reconcilliation amounts