Child Support Payment cheats caught out by Tax Bonus
MORE than $32 million has been clawed back from separated parents trying to dodge paying child support because they filed a tax return to get their tax bonus, the Federal Government says.
The payment of the tax bonus of up to $900, as part of the Government’s second stimulus package, was dependent on the lodgement of a 2007-08 tax return.
“The lodging of returns has created greater opportunities for the Government to recover overdue child support and the end beneficiary of these payments is of course the children of separated families,” Human Services Minister Chris Bowen said.
The Child Support Agency (CSA) recouped $32.4 million in outstanding payments through the Tax Refund Interception Process following an increase in the lodgement of tax returns.
“In the five months to June 30, 2009, there has been a doubling of both the number of tax intercepts and the amount of child support debt recovered,” Mr Bowen said.
The $32.4 million in recouped payments was made through the interception of 26,797 tax returns between February and June.
In 2008 over the same period, $14.6 million was collected through the interception of 13,880 tax returns.
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