In 2025-26, Family Tax Benefit Part A pays up to $227.36 per fortnight for each child under 13, and up to $295.82 per fortnight for each child aged 13–19 still in approved study. On top of that, an end-of-year supplement of $938.05 per child is paid after you lodge your tax return — but only if your family's adjusted taxable income (ATI) is $80,000 or less. The maximum-rate income test starts tapering at $66,722 of family income, with a second taper kicking in at $118,771.
That's the short answer. The rules-of-thumb most parents miss — the second taper, the supplement cliff, and how FTB-A interacts with Rent Assistance — are below. Every figure here is the one our calculator uses, and it's verified against Services Australia and the DSS Family Assistance Guide.
Who can claim FTB Part A
You qualify for FTB-A if all of the following are true:
- You have a dependent child aged 0–15, OR a 16–19-year-old in full-time secondary study (and not getting a Government allowance like Youth Allowance themselves).
- The child is in your care at least 35% of the time (shared-care families share the entitlement; see Services Australia — Shared care rules).
- You meet the residency requirements (Australian resident, or eligible visa holder).
- Your child's immunisations + Healthy Start for School checks are up to date.
- Your family ATI is below the upper cutoff — there's no single dollar figure because it depends on how many children you have and their ages. As a rough guide, FTB-A pays something for many families up to roughly $130k–$200k+ combined income. Our FTB calculator gives you the exact answer for your family in seconds.
The misconception we see most often: "We earn too much for FTB-A." Most families with one or two kids and combined income under about $110,000 still get the maximum rate. Even above that, you usually get something — the rate just steps down via two separate tapers.
How much per child — the maximum rates for 2025-26
| Child's age | Max rate per fortnight | Annual maximum (52 fortnights) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 12 | $227.36/fn | ~$5,911/year |
| 13 – 15 | $295.82/fn | ~$7,691/year |
| 16 – 19 (in full-time secondary study) | $295.82/fn | ~$7,691/year |
These are the maximum rates — they apply in full if your family income is at or below the lower threshold. Above that, the income test tapers the amount down.
Run the NestWise FTB Calculator → It applies both income-test methods, age-based rates, and shared-care adjustments — using your own numbers, in seconds.
How the income test works
FTB-A uses two tapers that kick in at different income levels:
| Combined family income (ATI) | Effect on your FTB-A |
|---|---|
| Up to $66,722 | Maximum rate (no reduction) |
| $66,722 – $118,771 | Reduces by 20¢ for every $1 over $66,722 until it hits the base rate of $72.94/fn per child |
| Above $118,771 | Further reduces by 30¢ for every $1 over $118,771 until FTB-A drops to $0 |
A worked example — two children aged 8 and 11, combined family income $96,722.
- Max-rate FTB-A for two under-13 children = $227.36/fn × 26.0890 fortnights/year × 2 = $11,863/year (a financial year averages 26.0890 fortnights).
- Income is $30,000 above the lower threshold ($96,722 − $66,722). Reduction = $30,000 × $0.20 = $6,000/year.
- After reduction: $11,863 − $6,000 = $5,863/year.
- Base-rate floor for two children = $72.94/fn × 26.0890 × 2 = $3,806/year. The family is comfortably above the floor, so they stay on the Method 1 result.
The base rate is a floor. Once Method 1 would push you below the base rate, you stay AT the base rate — the first taper stops biting. The second taper (30¢ per $1 above $118,771) then erodes the base from there.
The end-of-year supplement — and the $80,000 cliff
On top of the fortnightly payments, FTB Part A has an annual supplement of $938.05 per child. It's paid after you lodge your tax return and Centrelink reconciles your actual income against what you estimated.
The catch: the supplement is only paid if your family ATI is $80,000 or less. Above that, you get zero supplement — even if your fortnightly FTB-A was still being paid.
That's a hard cliff, not a taper. A family earning $79,999 gets the full $938.05/child supplement. A family earning $80,001 gets nothing. This is the single biggest tax-time reconciliation surprise we see. If you're hovering near $80,000, it's worth checking whether salary-sacrificing super to bring your ATI down a few hundred dollars unlocks the supplement — often a clear win.
The five gotchas that catch families out
1. The $80,000 supplement cliff is hard, not a taper. $1 over kills the whole supplement. Plan for it.
2. The two tapers compound. The 20¢ taper drops you to the base rate; then the 30¢ taper erodes that. Families often think a pay rise costs them 20¢ on the dollar; above $118,771 it costs them 30¢ — plus their CCS percentage drops too.
3. Your income estimate matters all year. Like CCS, FTB-A is paid against your estimate and reconciled at tax time. If you under-estimate, you owe at year-end — and a single underestimate often causes both an FTB debt and a CCS debt.
4. Shared-care families share the entitlement. If your child is in your care less than 100% of the time, your FTB-A is reduced proportionally. The other parent gets the rest.
5. Rent Assistance rides on FTB-A. If you rent privately and your FTB-A is above the base rate, you also qualify for Rent Assistance on top — automatically. Drop to the base rate and RA stops with it. That's worth modelling if you're near the threshold.
What's NOT covered by FTB Part A
- Newborn supplement and the Newborn Upfront Payment are separate one-off payments on top of FTB-A in the first weeks. Eligibility automatic with FTB-A; amounts differ by birth order.
- Family Tax Benefit Part B is a separate payment for single-parent families or couples with one main income — different rules, different income test. See Services Australia — FTB Part B.
- Tax offsets (the old "Family Tax Benefit Part A tax claim") were absorbed into the payment system; there's no separate tax credit.
How NestWise calculates your FTB-A
NestWise's calculator implements the formula step by step using the exact figures above:
- Per-child maximum rate based on each child's age.
- Method 1 income test — 20¢ taper above $66,722 down to the base rate.
- Method 2 (above base rate) — 30¢ taper above $118,771 down to zero.
- Shared-care adjustment — pro-rata by care percentage.
- End-of-year supplement ($938.05/child) — only if family ATI ≤ $80,000.
- Rent Assistance added on top if you're a renter above the base rate.
The whole engine sits behind 198 regression tests that run on every code change. The full source list is on the sources page, and rates update within weeks of the Government publishing new figures each July.
What to read next
- How much Child Care Subsidy will I get in 2025-26? — FTB-A and CCS work together; understanding both saves families thousands.
- The FTB-CCS debt trap — how one income mistake causes two debts — the most common cause of a Centrelink debt at tax time, and exactly how to avoid it.