Government Benefits

On Father’s Day the Australian Government started public consultations on its plan to introduce two weeks of paid leave for dads to take time off work to spend with their newborn babies. From 1 January 2013, the current Paid Parental Leave scheme will be expanded to include a dedicated payment ...

1 comment Read the full article →

A new data matching initiative between Centrelink and the ATO is expected to claw back millions of dollars from welfare recipients who have debts with the Australian Government. Beginning on July 1 this year, Centrelink and the ATO will automatically match data on a daily basis as a way of ...

1 comment Read the full article →

We’re already receiving a few FTB supplement questions this year so it looks like time to update you on the current rates. FTB Part A and FTB Part B both include a supplement payment. This gets paid after you (and your partner, if you have one) have lodged your tax returns for ...

42 comments Read the full article →

Did you know that only one in five taxpayers who meet the eligibility criteria for the super co-contribution actually make a personal contribution in order to receive the additional government payment. The super co-contribution is a Government initiative to help low to middle income earners save for their retirement. You ...

1 comment Read the full article →

A lot of our clients have received an unexpected additional tax refund as a result of the ATO amending tax returns of eligible Youth Allowance recipients to include a deduction for study expenses. This came about thanks to the High Court decision in  Commissioner of Taxation v. Anstis. In the same way that ...

0 comments Read the full article →

Australians receiving government financial assistance will no longer need to worry that additional superannuation contributions, prescribed by law or the rules of their super fund, will be considered when determining their eligibility to receive that financial assistance. The Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation, Bill Shorten, today ...

1 comment Read the full article →

I was met with a mix of both scepticism and delight this week as I contact taxpayers who have received an unexpected, addition tax refund as a result of the Anstis case. (Let’s face it, it’s not often I call people to say “Hey, the Tax Office have sent us money for ...

1 comment Read the full article →

Legislation introduced into Parliament today will support older Australians on the age pension to stay connected to the workforce through a new, more generous Work Bonus. The new Work Bonus is set to commence on 1 July this year and will encourage older Australians to continue contributing their skills and ...

0 comments Read the full article →

Acting Attorney-General Brendan O’Connor and Minister for Human Services Tanya Plibersek today encouraged the thousands of residents significantly affected by some of the worst flooding in Queensland’s history to lodge a claim for the Australian Government’s Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP). Mr O’Connor said the payment of $1000 for each eligible ...

2 comments Read the full article →

I took a large number of calls last week sorting out confusion surrounding what people like to call “bonus” payments. I’m referring to the Family Tax Benefit Part A and Part B Supplements.  How much is it? For the 2009-10 year, the maximum payments are $711.75 per child (part A) and $346.75 ...

0 comments Read the full article →

 One of the most common Centrelink questions I receive this time of year has to do with the Carer Supplement payments… who qualifies for it, how much will it be and when is it paid?   $600 Carer Supplement From today,  more than 500,000 carers across Australia will receive a ...

10 comments Read the full article →

← Previous Entries