Child Support FAQs: 12 Most Asked Questions by Parents
Answers to common questions by parents about child support payments.
We’ve been answering questions from parents since 2017. Here are some of the most common questions, with research-backed answers.
Answers to the Top 12 FAQs from Parents
1. How much child support will I pay if I make $100k?
If you earn $100,000 in Australia, child support can technically range from $0 up to about $20,120 per year under the standard Services Australia formula. The exact amount depends on the number and ages of the children, how many nights they spend with you, and the other parent’s income.
For most parents on $100k, a realistic range is between $7,686 and $12,457 per year. This typically assumes one or two children, regular care of 2–4 nights per fortnight, and the other parent earning a moderate income. Equal care with similar incomes can result in no child support being payable at all.
Details: How Much Child Support Will I Pay on $100k?
2. How much is child support in Australia?
Child support in Australia varies widely because it is calculated using a legislated formula rather than actual household expenses. Most annual assessments fall somewhere between about $2,000 and $20,000, depending mainly on each parent’s taxable income and how many nights the children spend with each parent.
At the lower end, low-income parents with fewer than five nights of care per fortnight usually pay the Minimum Annual Rate, which is $1,850 per year (subject to annual indexation). Higher-income cases rise quickly with income and family size, but stop increasing once the formula’s income cap is reached.
Details: How Much Is Child Support in Australia?
3. What does child support cover?
Child support is a cash transfer from one parent to the other, with no obligation on how the money is spent. The receiving parent can use it however they choose and is not required to spend it directly on the child.
The payments are intended to help cover general living costs across the receiving parent’s household. There are no fixed rules about who pays for what on a day-to-day basis. Major or non-standard expenses, such as private school fees or braces, are often not included in regular child support and may require separate agreement or a Change of Assessment.
Details: What Does Child Support Cover in Australia?
4. What is child support?
Child support is a legally required regular payment from one parent to the other parent. The amount is set by a government formula based mainly on the payer’s income and how much time the children spend with each parent.
It is not a reimbursement system and it is not tied to specific receipts or itemised expenses. Once paid, the money becomes part of the receiving parent’s household finances. The law assumes the payment contributes to supporting the child, but it does not require the funds to be spent in any particular way.
Details: What Is Child Support?
5. How far can child support be backdated in Australia?
Child support cannot be backdated before an application is made. When a parent first applies for child support, payments start from the application date only. There is no backdating to earlier months or years.
In private collect cases where payments are missed, unpaid amounts can usually be backdated for up to 3 months, or up to 9 months in exceptional circumstances. Where a Change of Assessment is made, adjustments can generally be backdated for up to 18 months. Longer backdating is rare and usually requires court involvement.
Details: How Far Can Child Support Be Backdated?
6. How much child support will I pay for 2 kids?
There is no fixed amount for two children. In Australia, child support depends on both parents’ incomes and how much care each parent provides. That said, two children usually means a noticeable increase compared with one child.
As a general guide, moving from one child to two children increases the underlying child support cost by somewhere between around 15% and 75%. Where you land within that range depends on whether the children are young or teenagers, the parents’ combined income, and how care is shared. The easiest way to see what this means in dollars for your situation is to use a child support calculator.
Details: Child Support Cost of a 2nd or 3rd Child in Australia
7. When does child support end?
Child support in Australia typically stops when the child turns 18. However, if the child is still in full-time secondary education, payments may continue until the end of the school year in which they turn 18.
Details and exceptions: What Age Does Child Support Stop?
8. Does child support increase when a child turns 13?
Yes. In almost all cases, child support increases when a child turns 13. For an only child, the increase is large — typically between about 24% and 41% depending on the parents’ combined income. In families with two children, the increase is much smaller, usually around 9% to 11%.
In families with three or more children, the increase is generally under 10%. The main exception is when a middle child turns 13 while younger children remain, in which case there may be no increase at all. These changes occur because teenagers are assigned higher standard costs under the child support formula.
Details: How a Kid Turning 13 Affects Child Support in Australia
9. What is the minimum child support payment in Australia?
For most low-income parents, the minimum child support payment is the fixed annual rate of $1,825 per child per year (about $152 per month) in 2026. This is the amount Services Australia usually applies when a parent has low income and limited care.
A lower minimum annual rate of $551 exists, but it is rare and only applies if you have very low income, did not receive income support during the relevant period, and successfully apply for an exemption. Where a parent has shared care, child support is calculated normally and may be lower than the fixed rate or even nil.
Details: Real Minimum Child Support Payment in Australia
10. How does child support affect your tax return?
Child support does not count as taxable income and is not tax-deductible. If you receive child support, you do not include it as income. If you pay child support, it does not reduce the tax you owe.
However, the tax return does ask how much child support you paid (and in some cases what your partner paid). This is for information-matching and government benefit calculations only. It does not change your tax outcome. But child support can affect Family Tax Benefit and other Centrelink payments, which are handled separately by Services Australia.
Details: Is Child Support Taxable Income in Australia?
11. Does child support cover private school fees?
No, child support doesn’t usually cover private school fees. These costs are typically handled separately through agreements between parents.
But in practice, disagreements can lead parents to use the child support system to compel contributions. A parent may apply for a Change of Assessment through Services Australia, potentially requiring the other parent to pay school fees.
Details: Does Child Support Cover Private School Fees?
12. Why is child support unfair to fathers in Australia?
Child support is unfair to many fathers because the system doesn’t consider their unique financial situation, like taxes or extra living costs after separation. Fathers often pay more due to higher incomes but have less say in how the money is spent on their kids, especially if they have limited custody. This lack of control and the way the system favours mothers can make it seem highly one-sided.
Details: Why is Child Support So Unfair to Fathers?
Authority and further guidance
Each answer above links to a detailed article explaining the issue in full, with examples, edge cases, and references to how the child support system works in practice.
Child Support Australia has been answering real questions from parents since 2017. The guidance on this site reflects recurring issues raised by thousands of parents dealing with assessments, care changes, income shifts, tax returns, and disputes with Services Australia. The aim is clarity and accuracy, grounded in how the rules are actually applied rather than how they are often summarised.
