Who Assesses Child Support?
Services Australia (Child Support) administers the child support scheme. They:
The Assessment Process
Step 1: Application
Either parent can apply. You'll need:
Step 2: Gathering Income
Services Australia gets income from the ATO. For the current year, they may estimate or you can provide evidence.
Step 3: Calculation
Using the child support formula based on:
Step 4: Notification
Both parents receive an assessment notice showing:
Income for Child Support
What's Included
- Taxable income
What's Excluded
- Actual child support received
Self-Support Amount
A basic amount is deducted before calculating. For 2025, this is $29,212.
Care Percentage
How much time each parent has the children:
Changing Your Assessment
Automatic Reassessment
- Each new financial year
Application for Change
Apply if circumstances change:
Private Arrangements
You can have a private agreement instead of Services Australia collecting, but the assessment still applies. Be careful - informal arrangements aren't legally enforceable.