Yes, the Centrelink Special Benefit is a taxable payment for recipients aged 16 or older.
Special Benefit is a taxable Centrelink payment if you're 16 or older. Read about paying tax on your payment. If you're in financial hardship, you may be eligible for other support.
Non-taxable payments
Carer Payment, if you and all care receivers are under Age Pension age. Disability Support Pension, if you are under Age Pension age. Youth Disability Supplement, when paid with Disability Support Pension.
A payment to help you if you're in financial hardship and you're not eligible for any other income support payment from us.
Your payment summary shows most of your taxable and non-taxable payments the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) need to know about. You can use a self service option to get your payment summary.
Inheritances, gifts, cash rebates, alimony payments (for divorce decrees finalized after 2018), child support payments, most healthcare benefits, welfare payments, and money that is reimbursed from qualifying adoptions are deemed nontaxable by the IRS.
You can choose to claim or not claim the tax-free threshold on the tax file number (TFN) declaration you give to your payer (including Centrelink). If you choose to do so: you won't pay tax where your income is under $18,200.
Eligibility for the $700–$750 Payment
Eligibility is typically linked to existing Centrelink income support payments. Common qualifying categories include Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, JobSeeker Payment, Carer Payment, and certain youth or family support allowances.
Special Payments means ex gratia expenditure paid by the Project Deliverer to a third party where no legal obligations exists for the payment and/or other extra- contractual expenditure. Special Payments may include, but are not limited to, out-of- court settlements or compensation; Based on 15 documents.
If you're not sick or injured and you need an exemption, call us on your regular payment line. You'll need to give us proof of your circumstances. While we assess your request for an exemption, you need to keep meeting your requirements. This includes attending appointments with your provider.
Exempt income is income that you don't pay tax on (that is, it's tax-free). You may still need to include this income in your tax return for use in other tax calculations. Examples of exempt income can include: some government pensions and payments, including the invalidity pension.
This means that if you earn €20,000 or less, you do not pay any income tax (because your tax credits of €4,000 are more than or equal to the amount of tax you are due to pay). However you may need to pay a Universal Social Charge (if your income is over €13,000) and PRSI (depending on how much you earn each week).
Calculate gross salary by summing all allowances with basic pay. Deduct non-taxable portions like HRA and standard deductions (₹52,500) from gross salary. Apply tax deductions under Chapter VI A (e.g., section 80C, 80D) to determine gross taxable income.
Rate: $6.20 per fortnight for an eligible single person, and $3.10 per fortnight for each eligible member of a couple (i.e. $6.20 in total if both members of a couple are eligible).
Types of Non-Taxable Allowances
Uniform Allowance: Covers the cost of purchasing or maintaining uniforms worn for official duties. Travel Allowance: Compensates employees for travel expenses incurred for official work. Conveyance Allowance: Covers transportation costs to and from work.
Do you want tax deducted from your payment? If your only income for a tax year is the allowance you are claiming, you may not have to pay any tax. However, you may have to pay tax if you received or will receive any other taxable income in the tax year, such as salary or wages.
SpB is a discretionary income support payment that provides financial assistance to people who, due to reasons beyond their control, are in financial hardship and unable to earn a sufficient livelihood for themselves and their dependants.
Special payments are one-off payments you can receive from Income Support to help you pay for emergency costs of essential items or services. Most special payments are loans you'll need to repay.
The $16,728 bonus refers to an additional benefit that some individuals may qualify for based on their earnings history and when they choose to start receiving Social Security benefits. It's not an outright payment available to everyone; rather, it's tied intricately to how long you wait before claiming your benefits.
There are no extra payments for Centrelink customers. If you're not sure if Centrelink information you've seen online is real, search our genuine websites. See the link in the comments for more info 👇 The Guringai Festival had a story about a $750 one off payment for pensioners in December, 2025.
The $4,000 Centrelink payment isn't a direct cash payment but a one-time boost to the Work Bonus income bank for eligible pensioners (Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment) over Age Pension age, starting January 1, 2024, with an increased maximum balance of $11,800, allowing them to earn more without reducing their pension. You get this $4,000 starting credit automatically if you're a new claimant or haven't received a previous $4,000 boost, effectively giving you a $4,000 buffer to earn income before Centrelink reduces your pension.
Tax-free income in new tax regime (Financial Year 2025-26)
This means that individuals earning up to Rs. 12 lakh will have their tax liability effectively reduced to zero. For salaried employees, an additional standard deduction of Rs. 75,000 elevates the tax-free income threshold to Rs. 12.75 lakh.
Example: taxable income over $48,000 but under $90,000
Anita is not eligible for the low income tax offset as her income is above $66,667. As Anita's income is more than $48,000 but less than $90,000, she is eligible for a low and middle income tax offset of $1,500.