Requesting a fine reduction
If you can’t afford to pay your whole fine, you may be able to make an application to have your fine reduced by 50%.
Before considering you for a fine reduction, Revenue NSW will first consider whether you should be put on a payment plan or a Work and Development Order (WDO). This means that you can only get a fine reduction after Revenue NSW has already considered whether or not you should be put on a payment plan or a WDO instead.
Reductions are available for some types of fines, for people who receive some types of government benefit and were receiving those benefits at the time of the offence.
These government benefits include being in receipt of any of the following:
- Health Care Card
- Ex-Carer Allowance (Child) Health Care Card
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
- Disability Support Pension
- Newstart
- ABSTUDY Living
- Widow Allowance
You can make an application to have your fine reduced by half if:
- you were receiving a government benefit at the time of the offence and
- the Commissioner of Fines Administration thinks it is appropriate to deal with the fine in this way.
Fine reductions are not available for the following types of fines:
- any fine from a court
- a jury duty related fine
- a voting related fine
- a fine issued to a body corporate
If your application to have your fine reduced by 50% is successful, it is important to remember that any other penalties that came with the fine will still apply, for example, demerit points, licence suspensions, disqualifications and cancellations.
For more information, see
Can’t pay? on the Revenue NSW website.