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Is my scholarship taxable?

Use this interactive decision tool to determine if your non-government scholarship is taxable.

Last updated 29 June 2023

Go to the tool

 

Is my scholarship taxable?

 

Our tool will take between 2 and 10 minutes to use.

What you can do with this tool

The tool results are based on the information you provide. You should use these results for guidance purposes only.

If your scholarship is taxable:

  • you should advise your scholarship provider that your scholarship is assessable income for tax purposes – they may need to withhold tax from your periodic payments depending on the information you provide on your tax file number declaration and the amount paid to you (talk to your scholarship provider about this)
  • you need to show your scholarship amount as assessable income in your tax return.

If your scholarship is not taxable:

  • you should advise your scholarship provider that your scholarship is exempt income – they do not need to withhold tax from your periodic payments
  • you should not show your scholarship as assessable income in your tax return.

Limitations

This tool does not deal with Commonwealth education or training payments such as:

  • Austudy
  • ABSTUDY
  • Assistance for Isolated Children
  • Youth Allowance.

These payments are not scholarships. However, some of them may be exempt from tax under other provisions of the income tax law.

Some scholarships, bursaries, grants and awards – including education benefits provided under a friendly society scholarship plan – are taxable. If you are not sure about a payment contact the organisation that paid you.

What else you can do

Find out more about scholarship payments and which ones are subject to tax.

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