How to Use CCSChecker Premium

Premium is for comparing family decisions, not just checking one estimate.

Use this guide when you are inside a Premium tool and want to understand what to enter, what the result means, or which tool to use next.

This guide opens separately so you can keep your calculator inputs open.

CCSChecker is an independent estimation tool. It does not update Centrelink, Services Australia, myGov or the ATO.

Start here

Not sure which tool to use?

If you are asking "what do we pay now?" — Start with Quick Family Snapshot.

If you are asking "is option B better than option A?" — Use Compare Scenarios.

If you are asking "what happens across the whole year?" — Use Year Impact Planner.

If you are asking "can we afford leave and childcare?" — Use the Paid Parental Leave Planner.

If you are asking "will family payments change?" — Use the Family Tax Benefit Estimate.

If you are asking "does salary packaging still help?" — Use Salary Packaging Impact.

If you are asking "will an EV lease affect CCS, HELP or MLS?" — Use EV Novated Lease Impact.

If you are asking "can I save this?" — Use Reports.

The best way to use Premium

For a major family decision, use this order.

1. Start with your current setup

Use Quick Family Snapshot or set Scenario A as your current situation.

2. Model the change

Use Scenario B for the option you are considering.

3. Change one thing at a time

For the cleanest comparison, copy Scenario A to Scenario B, then change one thing.

For example:

• 3 days of care → 4 days of care
• current income → new income
• current centre fee → new centre fee
• no salary packaging → salary packaging included
• no EV lease → EV lease included

4. Check the annual impact

A weekly result is useful. The annual result usually tells the real story.

5. Use the specialist tools if needed

If the change involves parental leave, FTB, salary packaging or an EV lease, use the relevant tool.

6. Download a report

Save the result before you update official estimates, change childcare days or compare options later.

Quick Family Snapshot

Use Quick Family Snapshot when you want a fast view of your current childcare position.

It is the best starting point if you are not sure where your family stands.

Use this tool when you want to know

• what your childcare may cost each week
• your estimated CCS rate
• how much CCS may reduce your fees
• what a simple change could do to your result

What to enter

Enter relationship status, estimated family income, activity hours, children in care, care days, session hours, daily or session fee, and withholding percentage where shown.

How to read the result

Estimated CCS rate — the percentage of eligible fees that may be subsidised.

Out-of-pocket cost — the estimated amount your family pays after CCS.

Weekly and annual impact — the yearly number is often more useful than the weekly number.

Best next step

If you want to compare your current setup with a change, use Compare Scenarios.

If the change happens part way through the year, use Year Impact Planner.

[[OPEN_TOOL:/dashboard/simple|Open Quick Family Snapshot]]

Compare Scenarios

Compare Scenarios is the main Premium decision tool.

If Premium has one core job, it is this: compare the family plan you have now with the one you are considering.

Use it when you want to know: are we actually better off if we change the plan?

Use this tool when comparing

• 3 days vs 4 days of childcare
• one centre fee vs another
• one child vs two children in care
• one parent returning 3 days vs 4 days
• different income estimates
• before vs after salary packaging
• before vs after an EV lease

Best method

Copy Scenario A to Scenario B, then change one thing. This gives the cleanest result.

If you change income, care days, fees and activity hours all at once, the comparison may still be useful, but it will be harder to tell which change caused the result.

What to enter

For each scenario, enter relationship status, family income, activity hours, each child in care, care days, hours or session length, daily or session fee, and withholding where shown.

How to read the result

Weekly out-of-pocket difference — how much more or less you may pay each week.

Annual out-of-pocket difference — the full-year effect of the change.

Estimated CCS rate — useful, but not the whole story.

Household position — whether the change leaves your family better or worse off overall.

Example

Scenario A: one parent works 3 days and the child attends care 3 days. Scenario B: one parent works 4 days and the child attends care 4 days.

The comparison helps show whether the extra income is mostly kept, partly offset, or largely eaten up by childcare costs and lower subsidy.

Best next step

If Scenario B happens for the whole financial year, the comparison may be enough. If Scenario B starts mid-year, use Year Impact Planner. If you want to keep the result, download a Scenario Report.

[[OPEN_TOOL:/dashboard/comparison|Open Compare Scenarios]]

Year Impact Planner

Most families do not have the same income and childcare pattern for the whole financial year.

The Year Impact Planner lets you split the year into periods and estimate what happens when things change.

Use it when you want to know: what does this change mean across the full year?

Use this tool when

• one parent returns to work part way through the year
• childcare days change mid-year
• centre fees change
• parental leave ends
• income rises or falls
• your Centrelink estimate changed late
• you want to understand possible CCS balancing

Example

A family might model:

Period 1: July to December — one parent is on leave. Childcare is 2 days per week.

Period 2: January to June — one parent returns to work. Childcare increases to 4 days per week.

This gives a more realistic full-year view than using one average estimate.

What to enter

For each period, enter period label, period end date, estimated family income, activity hours, children in care, care days, fees, and withholding percentage. Then enter what Centrelink knew during the year.

What "Centrelink knew" means

This means the income estimate and updates you had lodged during the year. It is not necessarily what you know now with hindsight.

The planner compares the estimate used during the year with the actual year you modelled.

How to read the result

Total childcare fees — the full cost before subsidy.

Estimated CCS entitlement — what the model estimates you were entitled to.

CCS paid after withholding — what may have been paid during the year.

Estimated top-up or debt direction — whether your model suggests you may have been underpaid or overpaid.

Common mistake

Do not enter only your current income if your income changed during the year. Split the year into periods. That is the point of this tool.

Best next step

If the planner shows possible debt risk, consider whether your official income estimate needs to be updated through myGov or Services Australia. CCSChecker does not update Centrelink for you.

[[OPEN_TOOL:/dashboard/year-planner|Open Year Impact Planner]]

Paid Parental Leave Planner

The Paid Parental Leave Planner helps you model the first year after a baby.

The first-year problem is not just: how much PPL do I get?

It is: when does income drop, when does childcare start, and what happens when someone returns to work?

Use this tool when

• you are expecting a baby
• you are planning parental leave
• you need to estimate income during leave
• you want to include employer-paid leave
• you want to include partner income or partner leave
• you are planning when childcare starts
• you are deciding how many days to return to work

What to enter

Enter relationship status, baby's due or birth date, primary carer leave start date, primary carer income, employer-paid leave, government PPL days you expect to claim, unpaid leave where relevant, partner income and leave where relevant, childcare start date, childcare days and fees, and return-to-work days.

Government PPL is subject to eligibility and reserved partner-day rules. CCSChecker models the plan you enter; it does not confirm eligibility.

How to read the result

Focus on the transition points:

Leave starts — when household income changes.

Employer leave ends — a common cashflow drop.

Government PPL ends — another common cashflow drop.

Childcare begins — the point where childcare costs and CCS enter the picture.

Return to work — the point where income and childcare costs should be read together.

What the result shows

The planner may show employer leave income, government PPL after estimated withholding, partner income during leave, partner PPL where included, unpaid leave periods, childcare start timing, return-to-work income, childcare cost after CCS, and a first-year timeline.

Best next step

Use Compare Scenarios to compare return-to-work patterns. Use Year Impact Planner if leave, income and childcare changes cross financial-year periods. Download the First-Year Leave Report if you want to save the plan.

[[OPEN_TOOL:/ppl/calculator|Open Paid Parental Leave Planner]]

Family Tax Benefit Estimate

The Family Tax Benefit Estimate helps you check how FTB may change when income changes.

FTB is highly circumstance-dependent. Use this tool as a planning estimate and sensitivity check, not a final entitlement calculation.

Use this tool when

• you receive or expect Family Tax Benefit
• one parent is returning to work
• income may rise or fall
• you are comparing work days
• you want to understand income sensitivity
• you are worried about reconciliation

What to enter

Enter relationship status, income, child details, care percentage where relevant, and other family-payment inputs shown in the calculator. Only use fields that apply to your situation.

How to read the result

FTB Part A estimate — a child-based payment that changes with income and family circumstances.

FTB Part B estimate — often relevant for single-parent or single-income families, depending on circumstances.

Income sensitivity — how the result may change if income is higher or lower.

Reconciliation risk — whether income changes could affect the final payment after the year ends.

Common mistake

Do not look at FTB on its own if you are deciding whether to work more or change childcare.

Extra income can affect take-home pay, CCS, FTB, childcare costs, HELP repayments, and Medicare Levy Surcharge.

Best next step

Use Compare Scenarios to compare income changes side by side. Use Year Impact Planner if the income change happens part way through the year.

[[OPEN_TOOL:/ftb/calculator|Open Family Tax Benefit Estimate]]

Salary Packaging Impact

The Salary Packaging Impact tool estimates how packaging may affect your household result.

Salary packaging can lower tax, but reportable fringe benefits can still be counted for family assistance and repayment systems.

That is why the tax saving and the CCS result can move in different directions.

Use this tool when

• you work for a hospital, charity, PBI or not-for-profit
• you salary package living expenses
• you package meal entertainment or holiday accommodation
• you use childcare
• you have a HELP debt
• you are near Medicare Levy Surcharge thresholds
• you want to compare before and after packaging

What to enter

Enter employer type, living expenses packaging, meal entertainment or holiday accommodation packaging, admin fees, taxable income, partner details where relevant, HELP debt status where shown, private health status where shown, and childcare details where relevant.

How to read the result

Tax saving — the estimated tax benefit from packaging.

Reportable fringe benefits — the amount reported for income-test purposes.

Adjusted RFBA / family assistance impact — how packaging may affect CCS or FTB income tests.

HELP impact — whether repayments may change.

MLS impact — whether Medicare Levy Surcharge exposure may change.

Common mistake

Do not only look at the tax saving. For families using childcare or receiving family payments, the income-test effects may matter.

Best next step

Use the linked CCS handoff to see the childcare effect. Use Compare Scenarios to compare before and after packaging.

[[OPEN_TOOL:/salary-packaging|Open Salary Packaging Impact]]

EV Novated Lease Impact

The EV Novated Lease Impact tool estimates how an EV lease may affect CCS, HELP and Medicare Levy Surcharge.

It is not a lease quote. Use your lease provider's quote for lease costs. Use CCSChecker to test the income-test impact.

Use this tool when

• you are considering an EV novated lease
• you use childcare
• you have a HELP debt
• you are near Medicare Levy Surcharge thresholds
• you want to understand reportable fringe benefits
• you want to compare household position before and after the lease

What to enter

Enter household income, childcare details where relevant, vehicle and lease details, delivery date, lease start date, pre-tax deduction details, employee contribution details where relevant, and HELP and private health details where shown.

How to read the result

Taxable income change — how the lease affects taxable income.

Reportable fringe benefits — what may be added back for income-test purposes.

CCS impact — whether childcare subsidy changes.

HELP impact — whether repayments change.

MLS impact — whether Medicare Levy Surcharge exposure changes.

Household before-and-after position — the broader impact, not just the lease saving.

Common mistake

Do not compare only before-tax and after-tax lease cost. For families, income-test effects can matter.

Best next step

Use Compare Scenarios to compare your household before and after the lease. Use Salary Packaging Impact if you also have other packaging arrangements.

[[OPEN_TOOL:/ev/calculator|Open EV Novated Lease Impact]]

Reports

Premium reports help you save a snapshot of your assumptions and results.

Reports are useful when you want to remember which inputs created a result.

Use reports when you want to

• come back to a scenario later
• compare options with your partner
• keep a record before changing childcare days
• save a parental leave plan
• check a year impact estimate
• review assumptions before updating Centrelink
• compare before and after salary packaging or an EV lease

What reports may include

Depending on the tool, reports may include scenario name, selected financial year, key inputs, estimated CCS rate, estimated out-of-pocket costs, income assumptions, childcare assumptions, period-by-period year impact, PPL summary, FTB estimate, methodology notes, and disclaimers.

Important

A report is a planning snapshot. It is not an official statement of entitlement.

Generate a new report after changing income, care days, fees, financial year, leave dates, salary packaging, EV lease settings, or family structure.

[[OPEN_TOOL:/dashboard/report|Open Reports]]

How the tools work together

Some Premium tools can hand information to another tool.

For example:

• Salary Packaging can pass adjusted income-test details into the CCS calculator.
• EV Lease Impact can help compare before and after income-test effects.
• PPL Planner can lead into childcare and return-to-work modelling.
• Year Impact Planner can model the financial-year effect of changes.

Always check the receiving tool has the details you expect. If something important changed, review the inputs before relying on the result.

How this differs from Services Australia

CCSChecker is a planning tool. It helps you estimate outcomes based on the information you enter and the settings selected.

Services Australia makes the final assessment using your actual circumstances, including confirmed Adjusted Taxable Income, activity test details, provider enrolment data, attendance and absence records, withholding, reconciliation and balancing rules, and eligibility factors.

Use CCSChecker to model and understand scenarios. Use myGov or Services Australia to update official details or confirm payments.

Methodology and assumptions

This is a plain-English summary of how CCSChecker Premium models results.

For the full calculation approach, see the full methodology guide.

Financial year settings

Calculations use the selected financial year. Where current official settings are available, CCSChecker uses those settings. Where future-year settings are shown before official figures are final, they are labelled as estimates.

Child Care Subsidy

CCS estimates use the information you enter, including family income, activity hours, child age, service type, care hours, care fees, withholding percentage, number of children in care, and higher-rate settings where relevant.

The calculator estimates eligible fees using the relevant hourly rate cap and the care pattern entered. Final CCS depends on Services Australia assessment and provider-reported enrolment and attendance data.

Income and ATI

For CCS and FTB modelling, the main income concept is Adjusted Taxable Income. Depending on the tool, income may include or be affected by taxable income, partner income, reportable fringe benefits, salary packaging, EV novated lease arrangements, government Paid Parental Leave, and other income-test adjustments.

Activity hours

Activity hours are used to estimate subsidised hours of care. If your actual activity test outcome differs, your real CCS entitlement may differ.

Withholding

CCS withholding is included to estimate how much subsidy may be paid during the year versus held back for balancing. Withholding can reduce the chance of a debt but may also mean you receive a top-up later.

Year Impact Planner

The Year Impact Planner splits the financial year into periods. Each period can have different income, fees, care days and activity settings. The tool estimates the full-year position by weighting each period across the year and compares estimated entitlement with what may have been paid based on the Centrelink estimate entered.

Paid Parental Leave

The PPL Planner estimates household cashflow during parental leave using the inputs entered, including government PPL, employer-paid leave, partner leave, partner income, unpaid leave, childcare start date, and return-to-work days. Government PPL is taxable income and may be shown after estimated withholding. Eligibility and final payment amounts are determined by Services Australia.

Family Tax Benefit

FTB estimates are based on family structure, child details and income inputs. FTB is income-tested and may change when income changes. The estimate is simplified and is not a final entitlement calculation. Final FTB entitlement is determined by Services Australia.

Salary packaging

The Salary Packaging Impact tool estimates the effect of packaging arrangements on taxable income, tax savings and income-tested systems. Salary packaging may reduce taxable income, but reportable fringe benefits can be added back for family assistance or repayment purposes. Actual payroll outcomes depend on employer policy, packaging provider settings and tax rules.

EV novated leases

The EV Novated Lease Impact tool estimates how an EV novated lease may affect taxable income, reportable fringe benefits, CCS, HELP and Medicare Levy Surcharge. It is not a lease quote and does not determine whether a lease is good value.

HELP and Medicare Levy Surcharge

Where included, HELP and Medicare Levy Surcharge calculations are estimates based on the income and household settings entered. Actual tax outcomes are determined through your tax return and ATO assessment.

Reports

Reports are generated from the scenario inputs and selected financial year settings at the time the report is created. If your inputs change, the report may no longer reflect your current situation.

Limitations

CCSChecker does not lodge claims, update Centrelink, access myGov, confirm eligibility, provide financial advice, or replace Services Australia, Centrelink, the ATO or professional advice.

All results are estimates only. Final entitlements and tax outcomes depend on your actual circumstances and official assessments.