Amounts that you do not pay tax on 2020

Information about those amounts that you do not pay tax on.

Last updated 27 May 2020

You might have received amounts that you do not need to include as income on your tax return. We classify them into three different categories:

exempt income
non-assessable non-exempt income
some other amounts that are not taxable and do not affect any calculation on your tax return.

The most common types of exempt income, non-assessable non-exempt income and other amounts that are generally not taxable are listed below. If you are not sure whether a payment you have received is exempt income, non-assessable non-exempt income or is another type of amount that is not taxable, phone 13 28 61.

Exempt income

Exempt Australian Government pensions, allowances and payments

Carer adjustment payment (CAP)
Carer payment where
- both the carer and the care receivers are under age-pension age, or
- the carer is under age-pension age and any of the care receivers has died
Defence Force income support allowance (DFISA) payable to you on a day when the whole of your social security pension or benefit, which is also payable to you on that day, is exempt from income tax under section 52-10 and subsection 52-65(4) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997
Disability support pension paid by Centrelink to a person who is under age-pension age
Double orphan pension
Invalidity service pension paid under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 where the veteran is under age-pension age
Partner service pension where either
- the partner (excluding the non-illness separated spouse of a veteran) and the veteran are under age-pension age and the veteran receives an invalidity service pension, or
- the partner is under age-pension age and the veteran has died and was receiving an invalidity service pension at the time of death
Veterans' Affairs disability pension and allowances, war widows and war widowers pension
Wife pension where both the recipient and their partner are under age-pension age, or the recipient is under age-pension age and their partner has died

For the meaning of age-pension age, see Special circumstances and glossary 2020.

Lump sum bereavement payments received as part of any of the payments in the previous list are exempt only up to the tax-free amount. Phone 13 28 61 to find out how much of your payment is exempt.

Exempt Australian Government education payments

Allowances for students under 16 years old, including those allowances paid under ABSTUDY, the Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme and the Veterans' Children Education Scheme
Australian-American Educational Foundation (Fulbright Commission) grant
Commonwealth scholarships or bursaries provided to foreign students
Commonwealth secondary education assistance
Endeavour awards research fellowships or an Endeavour Executive Award
Language, literacy and numeracy supplement
Payments under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme for eligible young persons whose eligibility was determined under
- paragraph 258(1)(a) of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 and the eligible young person was under 16 years old, or
- paragraph 258(1)(b) of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004
Pensioner education supplement and fares allowance paid by Centrelink
Rent assistance paid to Austudy recipients
Some scholarships and bursaries received by full-time students
Supplementary allowances for students paid under the Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme
The first $1,000 of an apprenticeship early completion bonus provided under a specified state or territory scheme for occupations with skill shortages

Other exempt Australian Government payments

Allowances you received as a volunteer in the Australian government funded Australian Volunteers Program
Amounts you received directly, or which are paid to a person on your behalf, under the National Disability Insurance Scheme for approved reasonable and necessary supports funded under your plan
Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment
Back to school bonus and single income family bonus paid under the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999
Carer allowance paid under the Social Security Act 1991
Child care subsidy
Additional child care subsidy
Child disability assistance under Part 2.19AA of the Social Security Act 1991
DFISA bonus and DFISA bonus bereavement payment under Part VIIAB of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986
Economic security strategy payment to families under the A New Tax System (Family Assistance)(Administration) Act 1999 or under the scheme determined under Schedule 4 to the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Economic Security Strategy) Act 2008
Economic security strategy payment under the Social Security Act 1991 or under the scheme determined under Schedule 4 to the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Economic Security Strategy) Act 2008
2020 Economic support payment
Education entry payment supplement under the Social Security Act 1991
Energy supplement paid under Part 2.25B of the Social Security Act 1991 or Part VIIAD of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986
Family tax benefit
Household Assistance Package payments which include
- Clean Energy Advance
- Energy Supplement payments
- Essential Medical Equipment payment
- Single Income Family Supplement
Loss of earnings allowance paid under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986
Lump sum payment made under section 198N of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986
Mobility allowance paid under the Social Security Act 1991
Outer Regional and Remote (OR&R) payment made under the Better Start for Children with Disability initiative
Outer Regional and Remote (OR&R) payment made under the Helping Children with Autism package
Payment from the Thalidomide Australia Fixed Trust
Payment made for travelling expenses under Part 3 of the Treatment Benefits (Special Access) Act 2019
Payment of pharmaceutical supplement made under Part 4 of the Treatment Benefits (Special Access) Act 2019
Payments to carers under the scheme determined under Schedule 4 to the Social Security and Veterans' Entitlements Legislation Amendment (One-off Payments and Other Budget Measures) Act 2008
Payments under the scheme determined under Schedule 4 to the Household Stimulus Package Act (No 2) 2009
Pension bonus and pension bonus bereavement payments under Part 2.2A of the Social Security Act 1991 or Part IIIAB of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986
Pharmaceutical allowances paid under the Social Security Act 1991
Phone allowance paid under the Social Security Act 1991
Prisoner of War Recognition Supplement payment under Part VIB of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986
Quarterly pension supplement paid under the Social Security Act 1991 or the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986
Remote area allowance
Rent assistance
Stillborn baby payment paid by Centrelink
The ex-gratia payment from the Australian Government, known as the Disaster Recovery Allowance for special category visa (subclass 444) holders for a disaster
- that occurred in Australia during 2014–15 and future years, and
- for which a determination under section 1061L of the Social Security Act 1991 has been made
The one-off energy assistance payment under the Social Security Act 1991 or the Veterans' Entitlement Act 1986
Tobacco industry exit grant where you complied with the condition of the grant not to own or operate any agricultural business within five years after receiving the grant
Training and learning bonus under the Social Security Act 1991
Utilities allowance paid under the Social Security Act 1991
Veterans supplement paid under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986

Exempt Australian Defence Force and United Nations payments

Certain pay and allowances for Australian Defence Force personnel (your employer will advise you if an amount is exempt)
Compensation payments under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 for impairment or incapacity resulting from service with a United Nations armed force in an operation area described in Schedule 2 of the Veterans' Entitlement Act 1986
Compensation payments made under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004, except those that are income-related payments
F-111 deseal/reseal ex-gratia lump sum payments
Pay and allowances for part-time service in the Australian Naval, Army or Air Force Reserve
Payments in relation to a recommendation by the Defence Force Ombudsman for abuse by a member of Defence
Some allowances paid to Australian Defence Force personnel who served in prescribed overseas areas (your employer will advise you if an allowance is exempt)

Other exempt payments

Certain amounts of interest paid by the Commonwealth on unclaimed money and property
Certain annuities and lump sums which are paid to an injured person under a structured settlement
Certain distributions from a pooled development fund
Certain distributions from an early stage venture capital limited partnership
Certain payments relating to persecution during the Second World War
Certain profits or gains from disposal of shares in a pooled development fund
Japanese internment compensation payments made under the Compensation (Japanese Internment) Act 2001 or the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986
Storm assistance payments for storm damage sustained by primary producers on or around 25 October 2018 in Fassifern Valley Queensland
Your share of certain profits or gains arising from disposal of investments by a venture capital limited partnership (VCLP), an early stage venture capital limited partnership (ESVCLP) or an Australian venture capital fund of funds (AFOF)

Non-assessable non-exempt income

The most common types of non-assessable non-exempt income are:

a superannuation lump sum death benefit received by
- a dependant, or
- someone who is not a dependant but received the benefit because of the death of a member of the Australian Defence Force or an Australian police force (including Australian Protective Services) who died in the line of duty
a tax-free superannuation lump sum benefit paid to a person with a terminal medical condition existing at the time when the lump sum was received or within 90 days after its receipt
COVID-19 early release of superannuation payment
amounts on which family trust distribution tax has been paid (see question A5 in Individual tax return instructions supplement 2020)
genuine redundancy payments and early retirement scheme payments shown as ‘Lump sum D’ amounts on your income statement or payment summary
government super contributions
National Rental Affordability Scheme payments or non-cash benefits paid (whether directly or indirectly, such as through an NRAS consortium of which you are a member) by a state or territory government or a relevant body established under a state or territory law
special disaster assistance recovery grants
- a recovery grant for floods in Australia from 25 January to 28 February 2019
- a payment under the On-farm grant program to primary producers impacted by floods from 25 January to 28 February 2019 to replace or repair farm infrastructure, to restock, to replant or a similar purpose
a payment made on or after 1 January 2020 by a state or territory for loss of income as a result of you performing volunteer work with a fire service of a state or territory during 2019–20
Disaster Recovery Allowance paid directly as a result of the bushfires commencing in Australia during 2019–20
Ex-gratia disaster income support allowance for special category visa (subclass 444) holders paid directly as a result of the bushfires commencing in Australia during 2019–20
payments by a state or territory relating to the 2019–20 bushfires under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements 2018External Link
that part of the taxable component of a death benefit ETP below the 2019–20 cap of $210,000 paid to a dependant
the taxed element of a death benefit superannuation income stream paid from an account-based pension to a death benefit dependant where
- the deceased was 60 years old or older at the time of their death, or
- the recipient was 60 years old or older when they received the benefit
the taxed element of a superannuation income stream or lump sum paid from an account-based pension received by a person 60 years old or older
the tax-free component of a superannuation benefit paid from an account-based pension
the tax-free component of an employment termination payment (ETP)

Tax-free income for temporary residents

If you are a temporary resident, your foreign income is non-assessable non-exempt income, except income you earn from your employment overseas while you are a temporary resident.

You are a temporary resident if:

you hold a temporary visa granted under the Migration Act 1958
you are not an Australian resident within the meaning of the Social Security Act 1991, and
your spouse (if you have one) is not an Australian resident within the meaning of the Social Security Act 1991.

If, at any time on or after 6 April 2006, you have been an Australian resident for tax purposes but not a temporary resident, you will not be entitled to the temporary resident exemptions from that time, even if you later held a temporary visa.

See also:

Foreign income exemption for temporary residents – introduction

Other amounts that you do not pay tax on

You do not pay tax on most child support and spouse maintenance payments.

There are other amounts that are also not generally considered to be taxable, such as lottery winnings and inheritances.