Making payments to Inland Revenue: Child support payments
How to pay your child support
If you're a paying parent, there are several ways you can pay child support. You can:
- make an electronic payment
- have deductions made from your Work and Income benefit
- pay in person by cash, cheque or EFTPOS at any Westpac branch
- arrange for your employer to make deductions from your wages each payday
- post regular cheques to Inland Revenue.
If you're a paying parent living in Australia you will find more information about making payments in our Paying parents who live in Australia (IR158) factsheet. You'll find this under "Forms and guides".
If you pay your child support by credit or debit card
Your payment will go to the most current month. Any extra you pay will go to any debt you may have.
If you’ve made an arrangement to pay off your debt you can use your credit or debit card to make those payments.
Custodians with debt cannot pay by credit or debit card.
Deductions from your Work and Income benefit
If you receive a benefit from Work and Income, we'll ask them to automatically deduct your child support payments before your benefit is paid into your bank account.
Work and Income beneficiaries can't choose other ways of making child support payments. If you're a paying parent going on a Work and Income benefit, you must contact us so automatic deductions can begin.
If your employer makes deductions from your pay
If you're in paid employment you can arrange for your employer to deduct your child support from your wages. If you choose this option, please contact us to arrange it.
If we instruct employers to make these deductions, they must do so. The arrangement is confidential.
Employers are not allowed to:
- use this information to discriminate against you in any way
- give information about your child support to other people.
If you have a question or issue about the amount of child support deducted from your pay, please contact us on 0800 221 221.
If you're an employer, find out more about making deductions for child support.
Date published: 11 Aug 2010
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