The ATO has reminded taxpayers who want to claim family assistance payments for the 2014 financial year that they must lodge a claim with the Department of Human Services (Centrelink) by 30 June 2015 to be eligible.
This deadline applies to taxpayers who intend to lodge a claim for:
- Family Tax Benefit;
- Child Care Benefit; and
- Single Income Family Supplement (SIFS).
These people must also lodge their 2014 Individual income tax returns by 30 June 2015 to receive their full Family Tax Benefit and SIFS entitlements (whether lump sum payments or payments that have been received throughout the year).
If they do not need to lodge an Income Tax Return for the 2014 financial year, they must notify Centrelink by 30 June 2015.
These are separate requirements, so taxpayers can lodge their claim for family assistance lump sum payments even if their Income Tax Returns have not yet been lodged or finalised.
Tax return deferrals past 30 June are not taken into account by Centrelink.
Any lodgement deferral granted by the ATO for lodgement of the 2014 Income Tax Return does not affect or influence Centrelink’s requirements that family assistance customers must lodge their returns by 30 June 2015.
