FBT Year ends on 31 March

In most cases Members do not need to take any action at the end of the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) Year.

Your salary packaging will continue into the new FBT year and appropriate reports that you require will be provided by your employer at the end of the Financial Year (30 June).

Keep an eye out for any communications from Paywise where we may advise of any action required by you (eg payment reimbursement claims). We also strongly recommend that you regularly access the Member Portal or Paywise App to keep up to date with claim balances.

Following is some key information about the end of the FBT Year, including answers to some of the most common questions our Members have relating to the FBT year-end.

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Key dates:

30 March – deadline for reimbursement claim submissions

Reimbursement claims must be received by this date to ensure processing in the 2025 FBT Year. Claims can be submitted via the Member Portal or Paywise App. Please note, payment of reimbursement claims is dependent on Paywise having received a salary deduction from your employer within the current FBT Year.

31 March – deadline for spending funds on your Paywise Card

All balances on your Paywise Card must be spent by 11:59pm AEDT (8:59PM AWST) on 31 March to ensure the transaction is included in 2025 FBT Year. You can check your card balance via the Member Portal or Paywise App . 

Any unspent funds will remain on your card, however they will now be considered within the new 2025/26 FBT reporting period and therefore won’t be enabling you to maximise your tax benefits.

Outstanding balances on your Living Expenses benefit can be transferred to an FBT Card. Note that this is not available for Meal Entertainment. An email will be sent to Members eligible for an FBT Card in March.

4 April – Last day for Novated Lease Days Unavailable Declaration to be returned to Paywise

If your Novated Lease vehicle was unavailable during the FBT year to drive (eg due to mechanical or body repairs or failure) for more than two consecutive days, you may be entitled to claim days unavailable to reduce your FBT obligation. The declaration required can be accessed here. 

7 April – FBT Reports Available Online

Your FBT report will be available online in the Paywise Member Portal. We encourage you to check the report and advise Paywise immediately if you believe any of the information in the report is incorrect.

11 April – Last day for Amendments to FBT Reports

Any discrepancies from the FBT report must have been communicated by you to Paywise by this date. No further changes will be allowed after this date.

Outstanding card balances.

Paywise encourages you to spend the balance on your Paywise card by 8.59pm AWST / 11.59pm AEDT on 31 March 2025. Any unspent funds will remain on your card, however they will now be considered within the new 2025/26 FBT reporting period and therefore won’t be enabling you to maximise your tax benefits.

Alternatively, for balances on Living Expenses cards only, you have the opportunity to purchase an ‘FBT Gift Card’ and have your balance transferred onto this card. See below for further information.

FBT Gift Card.

The FBT Gift Card is a great solution for those who have funds on their Paywise Living Expenses Card and may not be able to spend these prior to 31 March. It is a Mastercard™ single load Prepaid Card, that can be purchased using your Paywise Card giving you another 12 months to utilise unspent Living Expenses funds (not Meal Entertainment) after 31 March. It is not compulsory.

FBT Gift Cards can be redeemed for Point of Sale purchases, online and in-person at merchants that accept Mastercard Prepaid cards. The card cannot be used at ATMs or for cash out at Point of Sale. This product will operate similarly to your existing Paywise Card, whereby it will follow the allowable merchant categories for Living Expenses.

The purchase fee for an FBT Gift Card is $9.94 per card, which includes the delivery (by Australia Post) of the card to your chosen address. Payment will be taken from your Paywise Living Expenses account and you will be provided with a tax invoice for the card purchase.

The maximum balance per FBT Gift Card is $2,000. If you have a larger balance that you wish to convert to FBT Gift Cards, you can purchase multiple cards, however each card will have a cost of $9.94. As it is a single load card, we recommend waiting until your final payment for the FBT Year has been received before purchasing the card.

The funds on the FBT Gift Card will be available for use for 13 months from the order date, which will allow for the delivery of the card and still provide you with a minimum of 12 months to spend your funds.
Once the card is received, you will be able to activate it online, and it will then be available for immediate use.

The offer to purchase the FBT Gift Card is available until 7.00pm AWST / 10.00pm AEDT on 31 March. You will not be able to purchase the FBT Gift Card after this time.

Paywise will communicate with you by email if you are eligible to purchase a FBT Gift Card with steps on how to purchase the card.

The FBT Gift Card is not compulsory. Any unspent funds on your Paywise Card as at 8.59pm AWST / 11.59pm AEDT will roll over into the 2025/2026 FBT year (running 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026) and will subsequently reduce your cap for that FBT year.

Reaching your cap.

We will monitor your deductions and payments within your cap limits of $9,010 / $15,900. If you reach this limit prior to 31 March we will communicate this with you as your deductions and payments will cease, temporarily.

Rest assured that your regular deductions recommence from the first pay period in April. We will automatically handle this for you – no need to worry!

FAQs.

Am I required to do anything at the end of the FBT year?

Paywise will communicate with you should we require anything from you. There is no need to contact our team to check.

What happens to the balance on my Paywise Card?

Paywise encourages you to spend the balance on your Paywise Card by 8.59pm AWST / 11.59pm AEDT on 31 March 2025. Any unspent funds will remain on your card, however they will now be considered within the new 25/26 FBT reporting period. For balances on your Living Expenses card, you will be offered the opportunity to purchase an FBT Gift Card and have your Living Expenses card balance transferred to this.

I didn’t receive a full payment, why?

The most common reason for a reduced/partial payment at this time of the FBT year, is due to your FBT cap being fully completed. That is, if you have received all payments up to the cap value of $9,010/$15,900 you will not receive any more payments until 1 April 2025. Rest assured that your balance will automatically be paid to you by the second business day in April 2025 if this is the case.

Secondly, a reduced payment when you still have value remaining under your FBT cap will indicate that you need to submit a claim or other documents online or to our team at reimbursements@paywise.com.au.

My percentage was decreased when I reached my cap, do I need to call Paywise to reinstate this from 1 April?

No, our system will reinstate your percentage to commence from your first pay in April 2025.

What is an FBT Gift Card?

The FBT gift card is a single load prepaid Mastercard issued by payment solution provider EML Payment Solutions Limited, ABN 30 131 436 532, AFSL 404131 (EML) (they are the current issuer of your Salary Packaging Card). It can be used for purchases at the same approved merchants as your Salary Packaging card.

How do I order a FBT Gift Card?

You will receive an email with a unique link. To purchase the FBT gift card, click the link in the email and follow the verification steps. We recommend purchasing the FBT gift card after your last pay for the Fringe Benefits Tax year. Your unique link will remain valid until 31 March. FBT gift cards cannot be purchased after this time.

What is the maximum amount that can be loaded onto an FBT Gift Card?

The maximum amount that can be loaded to an individual FBT Card is $2,000. If you have a Living Expenses balance of more than $2,000 you can purchase multiple cards, however please note that each card has a cost of $9.94 and this amount will be deducted from the balance on the card.

When should I order a FBT Gift Card?

FBT Cards must be purchased prior to 7.00pm AWST / 10.00pm AEDT on 31 March. As it is a single load card, we recommend waiting until your final payment for the FBT Year has been received before purchasing the card.

Information for Employers
Information for Novated Leases

The FBT Prepaid Salary Packaging Gift Card (“FBT Card”) is issued by EML Payment Solutions Limited ABN 30 131 436 532, AFSL 404131 (“EML/we/us/our”). In these conditions “you” are the FBT Card purchaser or user. EML has developed and promotes the FBT Cards and if you acquire a FBT Card, you will have a contract with us. Mastercard and the Mastercard brand mark are registered trademarks, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.