Family Tax Benefit Part A vs Part B

Family Tax Benefit has two parts, and they do different jobs. Part A is a per-child payment that helps with the cost of raising each child. Part B is a per-family payment that gives extra help to single parents and families with one main income.

Many families get both at the same time. This page explains how they differ and how they are tested.

The key differences

Basis: Part A is paid per child; Part B is one amount per family.

Rate driver: Part A rates step up with each child's age; Part B has one rate set by the age of your youngest child.

Income test: Part A uses your family's yearly income with two tapers; Part B uses a primary earner limit and a secondary earner test.

Who it targets: Part A is broad family assistance; Part B targets single parents and one-main-income families.

Supplements: both have their own end-of-year supplement, paid after the financial year once your income is confirmed.

Index dates: both are indexed once a year on 1 July, so their current figures share the same effective date.

Who gets more

Part A and Part B are not really rivals, because they are added together for families who qualify for both. Part A usually makes up the larger amount for families with more than one child, since it is paid per child and rises with each child's age. Part B is a single top-up that is most valuable to single parents and families with a young child and one main income. The rate table on this page shows the current figures for each.

Whether you get Part B at all depends on your income split. A couple where both earn a solid income may get Part A but little or no Part B, while a single parent under the income limit gets the full Part B rate on top of their Part A.

See each payment in full

• Family Tax Benefit Part ARate, tests and calculator
• Family Tax Benefit Part BRate, tests and calculator

Rates current as of 17 July 2026. Source: DSS / Services Australia. Last checked 17 July 2026.