Family Tax Benefit Part A rates 2026
Family Tax Benefit Part A
Maximum Part A per fortnight (per child aged under 13)
Effective 1 July 2026 · Source: DSS / Services Australia · What changed on 1 July 2026
Family Tax Benefit Part A is a per-child payment that helps with the cost of raising children. It is paid for each eligible child in your care, and the rate depends on the child's age. It is paid by Services Australia through Centrelink.
This page shows the Part A rates, with their effective date, and how the annual income test works. Family Tax Benefit is indexed once a year, on 1 July, which is different from most payments. The next change is on 1 July 2027.
Full Family Tax Benefit Part A rate table
| Child | Max /fortnight | Max /year |
|---|---|---|
| Aged under 13 | $235.48 | $6,139.30 |
| Aged between 13 and 15 | $306.46 | $7,989.85 |
| Aged between 16 and 19 — Secondary student | $306.46 | $7,989.85 |
| Aged under 19 — In an approved care organisation | $75.60 | $1,971 |
| Base rate (per child) | $75.60 | $1,971 |
Plus an end-of-year supplement of up to $970.90 per child, paid after your family income is balanced.
| Reduction | Amount |
|---|---|
| Per day | $2.61 |
| Per fortnight | $36.54 |
Source: DSS Social Security Payment Parameters, 1 July 2026 — FTB (Part A) — Penalty reduction
| Child | Per fortnight | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| under-13 | $3.50 | $91.25 |
| 13-15 | $4.48 | $116.80 |
| 16-19-student | $4.48 | $116.80 |
| approved-care-org | $0.98 | $25.55 |
| base | $1.40 | $36.50 |
The FTB Energy Supplement is only paid if you have maintained continuous eligibility since 19 September 2016.
Source: DSS Social Security Payment Parameters, 1 July 2026 — Family Tax Benefit (Part A) · DSS Social Security Payment Parameters, 1 July 2026 — FTB (Part A) — End of Year Supplement
The table below shows the Part A rates. There is a maximum rate that steps up as the child gets older, with age bands for children under 13, 13 to 15, and 16 to 19 in secondary study. There is also a lower base rate that applies once family income passes the first threshold.
Rates are shown both per fortnight and per year, because Family Tax Benefit is worked out on your yearly family income. A separate end-of-year supplement is paid after the financial year, once your income is confirmed.
What changed on 1 July 2026
| Rate | Before 1 July 2026 | From 1 July 2026 | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aged under 13 | $227.36 | $235.48 | +$8.12 | +3.57% |
| Aged between 13 and 15 | $295.82 | $306.46 | +$10.64 | +3.60% |
| Aged between 16 and 19 — Secondary student | $295.82 | $306.46 | +$10.64 | +3.60% |
| Aged under 19 — In an approved care organisation | $72.94 | $75.60 | +$2.66 | +3.65% |
| Base rate for each child | $72.94 | $75.60 | +$2.66 | +3.65% |
- On 1 July 2026, Family Tax Benefit Part A, aged under 13, rose $8.12, or 3.57%, from $227.36 to $235.48.
- Across the 5 rates in the table, the rise ranged from 3.57% to 3.65%.
Family Tax Benefit Part A in 2026
| Rate | Before | 1 January 2026 | 20 March 2026 | 1 July 2026 | 20 September 2026 | 2026 change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aged under 13 | $227.36 | — | — | $235.48 | — | +$8.12 (+3.57%) |
| Aged between 13 and 15 | $295.82 | — | — | $306.46 | — | +$10.64 (+3.60%) |
| Aged between 16 and 19 — Secondary student | $295.82 | — | — | $306.46 | — | +$10.64 (+3.60%) |
| Aged under 19 — In an approved care organisation | $72.94 | — | — | $75.60 | — | +$2.66 (+3.65%) |
| Base rate for each child | $72.94 | — | — | $75.60 | — | +$2.66 (+3.65%) |
- Family Tax Benefit Part A, aged under 13, rose $8.12 (3.57%) across 2026, from $227.36 to $235.48 on 1 July 2026.
How much Family Tax Benefit Part A pays
The maximum Part A rate for each child is shown in the data block and table above, by the child's age. It can be paid per fortnight or as a yearly amount.
How much you actually get depends on your family's yearly income. Above the first income threshold the payment reduces towards the base rate, and above a higher threshold it reduces further. The next increase is on 1 July 2027.
| Situation | Income a year | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 child aged under 13 | $60,000 | $6,139.30 a year |
| 1 child aged under 13 | $100,000 | $1,971 a year |
| 1 child aged under 13 | $140,000 | $0 a year |
Income is the family’s adjusted taxable income for the year. Amounts are yearly and do not include the end-of-year supplement.
- At $100,000 a year the family gets $1,971, $4,168.30 less than the maximum of $6,139.30 for one child under 13.
- At $140,000 a year Part A stops altogether for one child under 13, whose income limit is $129,648.
Family Tax Benefit Part A income test
| Annual family income | Effect on your payment |
|---|---|
| Up to $69,131 | Maximum rate (no reduction) |
| $69,131 to $123,078 | Maximum rate reduces by 20c per dollar; the base rate is untouched, and the higher of the two is paid |
| $123,078 and above | The reduced maximum rate and the base rate each reduce by 30c per dollar; the higher of the two is paid |
Source: DSS Social Security Payment Parameters, 1 July 2026 — Family Tax Benefit (Part A) — Income test
| Family situation | Annual income |
|---|---|
| No children aged under 13 — 1 child aged 13 or over | $99,226 |
| 1 child aged under 13 — No children aged 13 or over | $89,973 |
| 1 child aged under 13 — 1 child aged 13 or over | $120,067 |
| 2 children aged under 13 — No children aged 13 or over | $110,814 |
| Family situation | Annual income limit |
|---|---|
| No children aged under 13 — 1 child aged 13 or over | $129,648 |
| No children aged under 13 — 2 children aged 13 or over | $140,379 |
| No children aged under 13 — 3 children aged 13 or over | $167,012 |
| 1 child aged under 13 — No children aged 13 or over | $129,648 |
| 1 child aged under 13 — 1 child aged 13 or over | $136,218 |
| 1 child aged under 13 — 2 children aged 13 or over | $160,844 |
| 1 child aged under 13 — 3 children aged 13 or over | $187,477 |
| 2 children aged under 13 — No children aged 13 or over | $136,218 |
| 2 children aged under 13 — 1 child aged 13 or over | $154,675 |
| 2 children aged under 13 — 2 children aged 13 or over | $181,308 |
| 2 children aged under 13 — 3 children aged 13 or over | $207,941 |
| 3 children aged under 13 — No children aged 13 or over | $148,507 |
| 3 children aged under 13 — 1 child aged 13 or over | $175,140 |
| 3 children aged under 13 — 2 children aged 13 or over | $201,772 |
| 3 children aged under 13 — 3 children aged 13 or over | $228,405 |
Part A uses your family's yearly adjusted taxable income, and it is worked out two ways. You get whichever gives the higher rate. The first test starts from the maximum rate: up to the lower income free area nothing comes off, between the lower and higher free areas it reduces by 20 cents for each dollar, and above the higher free area by 30 cents.
The second test starts from the base rate, which is not touched until your income passes the higher free area, then reduces by 30 cents for each dollar. For smaller families the first test falls below the base rate before the higher free area, so from there only the base rate is paid. For larger families, and some families with teenagers, the reduced maximum rate is still the higher of the two at that point, so it keeps applying and Part A continues to a higher income. That is why the income limit depends on how many children you have and their ages.
Because the test is on yearly income, a change in your income during the year can change your payment. The thresholds are shown in the income test detail on this page. Adjusted taxable income includes more than salary, so see our adjusted taxable income page for what counts.
Where Family Tax Benefit Part A stops
| Situation | Income free area | Payment reaches $0 at | DSS figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 child aged under 13 | $69,131 | $129,648 a year | Matches the DSS limit |
| 2 children aged under 13 | $69,131 | $136,218 a year | Matches the DSS limit |
Rounded up to the cent, as DSS rounds its limits.
- 1 child aged under 13: the payment reaches $0 at $129,648 a year of income, $60,517 more than the $69,131 income free area.
Estimate your Family Tax Benefit Part A
Annual, combined for you and your partner.
Estimated FTB Part A
$0.00per year
- ≈ per fortnight $0.00
How this is worked out
What this means
Family Tax Benefit Part A is paid for each child, and the rate is higher for older children. You can choose to be paid every two weeks through the year, or as a lump sum after the end of the financial year.
Part A is worked out on your family's yearly adjusted taxable income, not a fortnightly figure. Because your final income is only known after the year ends, your fortnightly payments are an estimate that is reconciled later.
After the financial year, Services Australia compares the income you estimated with your actual income. If you were paid the right amount, an end-of-year supplement is paid. If you were overpaid, you may have a debt, and if you were underpaid you may get a top-up. This is why keeping your income estimate accurate matters.
Some Part A rates can also include a small Energy Supplement, but for Family Tax Benefit it is grandfathered: it is only paid to families who have maintained their eligibility since 19 September 2016. Families whose FTB started after that date generally do not get it, so their total is lower by that line. The supplement is also frozen, so it never rises at indexation.
Family Tax Benefit is indexed on 1 July, unlike pensions and allowances. The next increase is on 1 July 2027, and this page updates to match.
Who can get Family Tax Benefit Part A
Services Australia assesses Part A on whether you care for a dependent child, the child's age and study, your residence status, and your family's yearly income. You generally need to care for the child at least 35 per cent of the time.
This page reports the rates and the income test. It does not decide your claim. For the eligibility rules that apply to your own situation, check the official Family Tax Benefit page linked at the top and bottom of this page.
Related
- Income test pageFree areas, tapers and cut-outs
- Calculator pageThe estimator on its own
- Family Tax Benefit Part A vs Family Tax Benefit Part BSide by side at three incomes
- 1 July 2026 indexationEvery payment, old against new
- Payment dates 2026Cycles and public holidays
Family Tax Benefit Part A: common questions
- How much is Family Tax Benefit Part A per child?
- The maximum rate depends on the child's age, with higher rates for older children. The table at the top of this page shows the fortnightly and yearly maximum for each age band. Your actual payment depends on your family's yearly income and can reduce to the base rate or to nil above the income limits.
- How does the Family Tax Benefit income test work?
- It is based on your family's yearly adjusted taxable income, worked out two ways. The maximum rate reduces by 20 cents in the dollar above the lower free area and by 30 cents above the higher free area. The base rate only reduces above the higher free area, also by 30 cents. You get whichever result is higher. The thresholds and income limits are shown on this page.
- When does Family Tax Benefit go up next?
- Family Tax Benefit is indexed once a year, on 1 July, unlike pensions and allowances that change in March and September. The next increase is on 1 July 2027. This page updates to match.
- What is the Family Tax Benefit end-of-year supplement?
- It is an extra amount paid per child after the financial year, once your actual income is confirmed and your payments are reconciled. It is only paid if you have met the requirements, such as lodging your tax return. It is separate from your fortnightly rate.
- Does Family Tax Benefit Part A include the Energy Supplement?
- Only for some families. Unlike income support payments, the Energy Supplement with Family Tax Benefit is grandfathered: it is only paid to families who have maintained their eligibility since 19 September 2016. Newer FTB claims generally do not include it.
- Is Family Tax Benefit Part A taxable?
- No. Family Tax Benefit Part A is not taxable and you do not include it in your tax return. Even so, your family's taxable income is what decides how much Part A you get.
Estimates and general information only — not financial advice. Check Services Australia for your circumstances.
Rates effective 1 July 2026 · next scheduled indexation 1 July 2027. Source: DSS / Services Australia. Last checked 23 September 2026.