Child care rebate

[jmmum]

I've done my tax. This is the first year that I have paid childcare fees. What do I do to claim the 30% rebate?

[briggsy's girl]

you won't need to do anything provided you were already claiming child care benefit during the year

they won't start processing the payments until September, after the child care providers have handed in their usage statements - and it will go through automatically

[Erin_25]

You should receive a letter in regards to it & in the letter it states that the rebates will be paid in oct.

[briggsy's girl]

two different rebates Erin - the one being paid in september is the 07/08 one - for the year already been - the one in october is the rebate for the first quarter of 08/09...

[jmmum]

Briggsy's Girl,
I have not claimed the 30% rebate at all. Do you mean this or when they pay a % toward cost of daycare. I have not received any letter.

[briggsy's girl]

if you are currently claiming child care benefit (so your percentage paid to the child care provider to reduce your fees), you will already be registered for both of these payments. the 30% rebate for 07/08 will be paid in September if your family tax affairs for that financial year are completed

the new rebate, which is 50% of your out of pocket costs, will be paid automatically each quarter from now on, instead of annually.

if you're not sure if you're set up for child care benefit, the best thing to do is call FAO - but if you are set up for child care benefit, you're safe

[Nai]

jmmum - just to make it confusing the CCB and the CCR are different. The CCB (Chilcare Benefit) is the reduction in fees that you paid upfront during the year if you were entitled to it. You should have registered with Centrelink when your child started childcare to assess your eligibility. If you have this then your CCR (Childcare Rebate) which is 30% of out-of-pocket after CCB will be paid automatically once you have done your tax return.

The CCB is means tested but the CCR is not.

BG - I'm not sure what happens if you haven't applied for CCB though - what's the process there?

ETA - thanks, you already replied

[briggsy's girl]

if you haven't claimed child care benefit as reduced fees during the year, you can put in a lump sum claim for child care benefit for the previous financial year - that claim will register you for the CCR as well

[jmmum]

Thanks for all the replies. I have done my tax return and am getting the reduction to my childcare fees. So will sit tight and wait for the 30% rebate in Sept.
Again thanks for the advise.

[Pandora]

Just be aware that depending on when your daycare centre lodge their paperwork, it may be september, or could be later.
Last year mine was paif in mid November.