What family payments could you get?
A quick estimate of your Family Tax Benefit (Part A + Part B) each year and fortnight, plus the one-off Parental Leave Pay for a new baby — worked out from your family income, your children and each partner's income. Estimates only, not a payment decision.
Used for the FTB Part A income test and the Parental Leave Pay family test.
Your children
Part A pays more for teenagers (13–19 in study); Part B is set by your youngest child's age.
Part B uses the higher earner (limit $124,327) and tapers on the lower earner. A single parent is treated as one earner.
On $95,000 family income with 2 children, your Family Tax Benefit is about
$7,071/yr
about $272 a fortnight across Part A and Part B.
$7,071
$0
$26,122
An estimate only, not a payment decision or financial advice. It excludes the maintenance-income test, shared-care percentages and rent assistance. Open the advanced panel for the Part A / Part B breakdown, the income taper and the Parental Leave Pay detail.
Family Tax Benefit is one of the few payments where almost every detail of your household changes the answer: what you earn together, how many children you have, how old they are, and how the income splits between two parents. That's hard to picture without running the numbers.
Parental Leave Pay sits alongside it because the questions arrive together: a new baby means both a one-off block of paid leave and a change to your ongoing fortnightly payment.
How this is calculated
- 1
Part A is added up child by child
Each child gets the maximum fortnightly Part A rate for their age — one rate under 13, a higher one for teenagers 13 to 19 in secondary study. Those are summed and multiplied by 26, and a much lower base rate per child is worked out the same way.
- 2
Two income tests run, and you keep the better one
Method 1 cuts the maximum rate by 20 cents for every dollar of family income above the Part A free area. Method 2 cuts the base rate by 30 cents in the dollar above a much higher free area. Your Part A is whichever pays more.
- 3
Part B is tested on each parent separately
Part B is one amount per family, sized by your youngest child's age — higher while the youngest is under 5. If the higher earner is above the primary-earner limit it's nil; otherwise the lower earner's income above the secondary free area cuts it by 20 cents in the dollar.
- 4
The end-of-year supplements are added on top
Part A adds a per-child supplement if family income is at or below the supplement limit, and Part B adds one per family. Both sit in their own column because they're annual lump sums, not fortnightly money.
- 5
Parental Leave Pay is an either-or test
You pass if either your individual income is under the individual limit or your combined family income is under the family limit — only one has to hold. You then see the full 26-week entitlement at the published weekly rate, before tax.
What it assumes
- The maintenance-income test is excluded, so separated parents receiving child support may get less Part A than shown.
- Shared care isn't modelled: every child counts as fully in your care, so a lower care percentage means a lower real payment.
- Rent Assistance isn't included, so renters receiving Part A can be paid more than the estimate.
- Residency, immunisation and study rules aren't checked — the teenage Part A rate applies from age 13 regardless.
- Part B applies whenever the earner tests pass; extra age limits that end it earlier for some families aren't modelled, and a single parent counts as one earner.
- Parental Leave Pay is shown before tax, with no split between partners and no interaction with employer-paid parental leave.
Common questions
What's the difference between Part A and Part B?
Part A is paid per child and tested on combined family income, tapering as that income rises. Part B is a single per-family amount aimed at households with one main earner: tested first on the higher earner, then reduced by the lower earner's income.
Why does my estimate drop sharply at some incomes?
Part A pays the higher of two tests, so once the maximum-rate method falls below the base-rate method the curve flattens. The sharp drops are different: the Part A supplement disappears once family income passes its limit, and Part B ends when the higher earner crosses the primary-earner limit.
Can I get Parental Leave Pay if I earn too much on my own?
Possibly. The test passes on either your individual income or your combined family income, and the family limit is far higher. Someone above the individual limit can still qualify if the household total stays under the family limit.
Do the supplements turn up in my fortnightly payment?
No. They're annual amounts paid after the financial year ends, once Services Australia balances your estimated income against your actual income. Under-estimate and that balancing can produce a debt rather than a top-up.
I'm a single parent — what do I put in the income fields?
Put your income in one field, leave the other at zero, and use your own income as the family income. The tool treats the higher figure as the primary earner, so the secondary taper won't cut your Part B.
Sources: Services Australia — Family Tax Benefit · Services Australia — Parental Leave Pay · All data sources
See also: Childcare Subsidy · Take-home pay · Couple take-home · Budget your salary
General information only, not financial advice. Figures are estimates based on the inputs and assumptions above and don't account for your personal circumstances. Confirm anything important with the relevant authority or a licensed adviser.