Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

CHILD SUPPORT (REGISTRATION AND COLLECTION) ACT 1988 - SECT 67

             (1)  If a child support debt in respect of a payment period remains unpaid after the time when it became due and payable, the person liable to pay the debt is liable to pay to the Registrar, by way of penalty, whichever of the following amounts applies:

                     (a)  if the payment period is a week--an amount calculated on the balance outstanding each week at a weekly rate equal to 1 / 52 of the relevant annual rate;

                     (b)  if the payment period is a fortnight--an amount calculated on the balance outstanding each fortnight at a fortnightly rate equal to 1 / 26 of the relevant annual rate;

                     (c)  if the payment period is a 4 week period--an amount calculated on the balance outstanding each four weeks at a four weekly rate equal to 4 / 52 of the relevant annual rate;

                     (d)  if the payment period is a month or a calendar month--an amount calculated on the balance outstanding each month or calendar month at a monthly rate equal to 1 / 12 of the relevant annual rate.

       (1AA)  If a child support debt in respect of a day in an initial period remains unpaid after the time when it became due and payable, the person liable to pay the debt is liable to pay to the Registrar, by way of penalty, an amount calculated on the balance outstanding each month at a monthly rate equal to 1 / 12 of the relevant annual rate.

          (1A)  For the purposes of subsections (1) and (1AA), the balance outstanding is the total amount of one or more child support debts remaining unpaid.

             (2)  An amount payable to the Registrar under subsection (1) or (1AA) is a debt due to the Commonwealth.

             (3)  In this section:

"relevant annual rate" means the rate that is from time to time the general interest charge rate under subsection 8AAD(1) of the Taxation Administration Act 1953 .