How to complete the Application Form? - Incomes
What is income proof? If your family members are
in employment , they may submit any of the following documents :
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A copy of the Tax Assessment and Demand Note for the 2023-24 financial year issued by the Inland Revenue Department (Form IRC6401);
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A copy of Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department's Employer's Return of Remuneration and Pensions form (IR56B)/ Notification by an employer of an employee who is about to cease to be employed (IR56F)/ Return of Payroll Emoluments for Civil Servant (IR56C);
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Photocopies of salary statements/ envelopes for the whole year;
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A photocopy of the passbook(s) indicating salary payments by autopay (please circle and underline the entries with appropriate remarks);
If your family members are
business operators , they may submit the following documents :
If your family members are
self-employed or in temporary and short-term employment , they may submit:
If you will receive studentship or incomes derived from appointments by institution in 2024/25 academic year, including the summer months of year 2024, you may submit the following document:
My father is operating his own business. What kind of supporting documents should be submitted? If the family member is operating a business, the following documents should be submitted:
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The Business Registration Certificate of the company;
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The company's Profit and Loss Account and Balance Sheet verified by a Certified Public Accountant as at 31 March 2024 to indicate its profit and net asset value. If the company's account closing date is earlier than 31 March, you can submit a Balance Sheet on an earlier date;
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Generally speaking, Profit and Loss Account and Balance Sheets verified by a Certified Public Accountant are acceptable. If such documents are not available, a self-prepared Profit and Loss Account and Balance Sheet should be provided. The samples are available at Appendices V and VI of Part III of Guidance Notes respectively for reference. Please note that this arrangement is not applicable to limited companies. If you have special reason for not being able to provide a Balance Sheet verified by a Certified Public Accountant for a limited company, please explain in "Step 12: Additional Information" of the application form.
I had a full-time job last year. Do I have to declare my income and submit proof? After you commence full-time study in 2024/25, if you have no full-time job, it is not required to report the information. However, if you continue to have a full-time job, please state your full-time job in the 2024/25 academic year and your total full-time income for the whole 2023-24 financial year in "Step 12: Additional Information" of the application form, and provide the relevant income proof. The SFO will then take into account your income received in the preceding financial year for assessing your 2024/25 application for assistance.
My parents are currently in receipt of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA). Am I required to submit the income proof of my parents? No. If your family received CSSA throughout the assessment period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 or is receiving CSSA when you submit the application form, you may submit your application by using the Simplified Version Application Form for CSSA Families. It is sufficient for you to provide the following documents together with your application –
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Photocopies of the HKID cards of you and your family members (An applicant who was a successful applicant in the past three academic years under the SFO’s financial assistance schemes for post-secondary students and had submitted a copy of his / her own permanent HKID card and copies of his / her family members’ HKID cards together with his/her application is not required to submit a copy again provided that there is no change of the personal particulars of the applicant and his/her family member as shown on their HKID cards.); and
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A photocopy of your bank passbook or statement showing your full name and the number of your bank account for receipt of the financial assistance. An applicant who has no bank account is advised to open one as soon as possible and provide the bank account number and supporting documents together with his/her application.
The Simplified Version Application Form for CSSA Families is not applicable for you if –
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your parents have once received the CSSA but they neither received CSSA throughout the assessment period nor are receiving CSSA when you submit the application form; or
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you do not come from a single-parent family and only one of your parents is a CSSA recipient
You are required to report the information of your parents’ income and asset in the Full Version Application Form and provide relevant documentary proof.
If you come from a single-parent family and the parent who resides with you and supports your living is a CSSA recipient, you may submit your application by using the Simplified Version Application Form for CSSA Families and provide the relevant supporting document based on your family situation. For example, copy of Divorce Decree, sole custody order, address proof or death certificate etc.
My elder sister has changed several jobs. How should I report her income and her employers' information? If your sister is unmarried and she is residing with your family, you should enter her personal particulars in "Step 4: Personal Particulars of Family Member(s)" of the application form. For details of employment, please enter the total income she received from all her employers for the financial year 2023-24 and the employers' information in "Step 6: Family Income" of the application form and list out her incomes under different employments in "Step 12: Additional Information" of the application form. Please attach copies of her income proof.
My uncle has paid rental expenses and insurance premiums of family member on behalf of my family. Do I have to report this? Yes. If others (including the other family members reported in "Step 4: Personal Particulars of Family member(s)" of the application form, siblings living away from you, divorced parents, relatives, friends, etc.) have paid any payment, such as mortgage payment, rental expenses, insurance premiums and/or loan repayments, etc. on behalf of your family, you should fill in the amount in the Section of "Contribution from Any Person(s) to You and/or Your Family" in "Step 6: Family Income" of the application form, and provide copy of documentary proof.
My siblings are residing with me and had received studentship in the 2023-24 academic year. Do I have to report such income and submit the respective proof?
You should complete Section of "Income/ Study Information of Unmarried Sibling(s)" in "Step 6: Family Income" of the application form and submit relevant documentary proof if your sibling, who is residing with you, had received studentship Note or income / various allowances derived from appointments by institution in the 2023/24 academic year. Please also report in "Step 12: Additional Information" of the application form whether the family member concerned will continue to receive such income / studentship in the 2024/25 academic year. You may submit photocopy of employment letter / contract, certification letter from the employer, written proof issued by the institution or other income proof.
Note: Studentship includes Postgraduate / Research Studentship, Graduate / Research / Student Research / Teaching / Instructional Assistantship, Demonstrator ship; any award / income / assistantship derived from appointments as Teaching Assistant, Student Assistant, Research Assistant, Research Fellow, Graduate Assistant, Demonstrator, Instructor, Student Research Assistant; income derived from teaching company associate scheme; and income received from any form of scheme run by the institution exclusively or in collaboration with other parties.
My sibling, who is residing with me, has been unemployed. How should I report it? If your sibling has been unemployed for the period between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024, please state in the self-prepared income statement or "Step 12: Additional Information" of the application form the period(s) of and the reason(s) for unemployment. Your sibling may submit the income details from the Inland Revenue Department or provide other information/ documents (such as termination letter, if any) to support the unemployment status.
How to complete the Application Form? - Assets
My parents own a private property. Do I need to declare it? When filling in the application form, an unmarried applicant is required to report the details of all the properties occupied by you and your parents, including the first home (whether it is owned or rented). You are not required to report the market value of the first home as at 31 March 2024. However, if your family owns a second property, you must report the market value of the second property in "Step 10: Family Assets - Property / Land/ Carpark, Vehicle /Vessel and Business Undertakings" of the application form.
Other than the first home, an applicant needs to provide the following documentary proof for his/her properties:
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Documents certifying the ownership of the properties such as purchase and sales agreements, assignments and deeds, etc.
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Mortgage documents (if applicable) indicating the outstanding loan amount as at 31 March 2024.
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Any one copy of the “Demand for Rates” from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 of the property. If there is no “Demand for Rates”, please explain in Step 12 “Additional Information” of the application form.
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If a family member’s share of the property is less than 100%, please furnish proof.
My mother has a joint account with my maternal grandmother. How should I report it? If you or your parents (or your spouse, if you are married) have a joint account with other members of your family or with other persons, you should report at the Section of " Joint Accounts " in "Step 7: Family Assets - Bank Deposits" of the application form and fill in the name of the family members or the names of those other persons. Please also input the balance of the account as at 31 March 2024.
Some of my monthly bank statements were lost when I moved house. What should I do? Applicants must submit copies of bank statements to facilitate the SFO's vetting of their applications. You will have to apply to the bank for copies of the lost statements and hand them to the SFO as soon as possible. All applicants must submit photocopies of all savings/ time/ current/ club deposits and integrated accounts in local and foreign currencies as supporting documents at the time of application. The photocopies must bear the name of the account holder, the account number and transaction records from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 and be submitted with their application form. Please do not photocopy two passbooks on the same piece of paper.
Do I have to report the assets of my siblings and my grandparents? No. If you are single, you only have to report your own assets and those of your parents in the application. If you are married, you will have to report your assets and those of your spouse in the application. Nevertheless, if there are assets belonging to you and/or your parent(s) but entrusted to your siblings / grandparents or others, these assets should also be reported.
How to complete the Application Form? - Family Members
I am married, but my wife and I are still residing with my parents. How should I report this? Generally speaking, a married applicant is only required to provide information about his/her spouse and children. The spouse's income should be reported in "Step 6: Family Income" of the application form, and the assets owned by the applicant and his/her spouse should be reported in accordance with Steps 7 to 11 of the application form. If you are receiving any contributions / support from other parties, please report this in the Section of "Contribution from Any Person(s) to You and/or Your Family" in "Step 6: Family Income" of the application form.
My elder sister and her husband are residing with my family. Are they members of our family? Strictly speaking, only the applicant, his/her parents, his/her unmarried siblings and paternal / maternal grandparents who are residing with the family are considered to be family members. Other family members are classified as "Other Family Members" in "Step 4: Personal Particulars of Family Member(s)" of the application form. You should, therefore, provide the information of your elder sister and her husband in the Section of "Other Family Members" in "Step 4: Personal Particulars of Family Member(s)" of the application form.
My mother and other siblings are still residing in the Mainland. How should I provide their information? You should provide your mother and your siblings' information by completing Section of "Other Family Members" in "Step 4: Personal Particulars of Family Member(s)" of the application form. However, if your parents are staying outside Hong Kong for employment purpose, you still have to provide their personal particulars in "Step 4: Personal Particulars of Family Member(s)" and information of their income and assets in Steps 6 to 11 of the application. Please also state their place of work in "Step 12: Additional Information" of the application form.
My parents have taken up residence in another country. How should I complete the application form? You should explain in detail in "Step 12: Additional Information" of the application form the following:
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When and under what circumstances (for instance, emigration by means of investment or family reunion) they emigrated and to which country, and whether they still have properties/assets in Hong Kong;
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When did you return to Hong Kong (if applicable) and how you maintain your living in Hong Kong;
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Whether your parents, other family members / relatives or friends provide you with any financial assistance. Please state the current amount of contribution that you are receiving and the amount you received from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.
How to complete the Application Form? - Other Matters
Some of the documentary proofs are not yet available. Could I submit the documents later? Please list out in "Step 12: Additional Information" of the application form, with explanations the documents that will not be able to submit with the application and state when the documents will be available. You must take the initiative to submit the documents once they are available. If you fail to report the required information in the application form or provide the required supporting document at the time of application, and the information/supporting document is only reported/provided upon the SFO's enquiry, this would be treated as a misrepresentation and/or omission in the application. The SFO may reject your application. Please refer to The Checklists on Photocopies of Documents Required [
TSFS/RM (2024)] which can be downloaded from the SFO's webpage.
My father does not stay in Hong Kong. He works in the Mainland. How should I complete the Declaration? You should print the application form and declaration and delivered to him for signature. Otherwise, your application will not be accepted. However, if you cannot obtain your parents' signature because of other special reasons (such as bad relationship with your parents, your parents getting divorced), you should give the reasons in detail in "Step 12: Additional Information" of the application form. The SFO will consider the reasons on a case-by-case basis. If you fail to give any explanation, the SFO may have to return the declaration to you for your parents' signature and re-submission. This will delay the processing of your application. You must not sign the declaration on behalf of others, such an act is an offence under the Crimes Ordinance.
If the number of family members in my family changed after 31 March 2024, should I report this to the SFO? If the number of family members (referring to the parents, unmarried sibling(s) residing with an unmarried applicant and/or his/her parents and dependent grandparents; if the applicant is married, "family members" refers to his/her spouse and/or child(ren)) changed after 31 March 2024 (e.g. an unmarried sibling residing with the family moved away / got married or a family member passed away), you should state it in "Step 12: Additional Information" of the application form and provide the SFO with the relevant document(s). If the number of your family members changed after submission of the application, you should inform the SFO in writing immediately, and forward the relevant supporting document(s) to the SFO. The SFO will consider if any special treatment is warranted on a case-by-case basis.
My father has got some deposits, which are not his income, in his bank account. Am I required to provide information about those deposits and how to report the information?
To ensure that the financial circumstances as reported in the application are true and complete, the SFO will make enquiries on transactions shown in bank statements. To speed up the processing of your application, you are advised to give explanations beside the transactions and provide documentary proof as far as possible, in particular for an amount of $100,000 or more (which may be fixed deposits); any other deposits of odd cents (which may be interest from time deposits or dividends from stocks and shares); and other regular cash / cheque deposits (which may be contributions / remittance from relatives or income from part-time jobs). If situation warrants, the SFO may still have to ask you for clarifications and documentary proof on the bank transactions.