JobKeeper Payment

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Summary

The JobKeeper Payment is a temporary scheme open to businesses impacted by the Coronavirus. The JobKeeper Payment will also be available to the self-employed. The Government will provide $1,500 per fortnight per employee for up to 6 months.

Eligibility

  • Employers (including not-for-profits) will be eligible for the subsidy if their business has a turnover of less than $1 billion and their turnover will be reduced by more than 30 per cent relative to a comparable period a year ago (of at least a month).
  • Employers must elect to participate in the scheme. They will need to make an application to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and provide supporting information demonstrating a downturn in their business. In addition, employers must report the number of eligible employees employed by the business on a monthly basis.
  • Employers will receive the payment for each eligible employee that was on their books on 1 March 2020 and continues to be engaged by that employer – including full-time, part-time, long-term casuals and stood down employees.
  • Employees must be an Australian citizen, the holder of a permanent visa, a Protected Special Category Visa Holder, a non-protected Special Category Visa Holder who has been residing continually in Australia for 10 years or more, or a Special Category (Subclass 444) Visa Holder.
  • Casual employees eligible for the JobKeeper Payment are those employees who have been with their employer on a regular basis for at least the previous 12 months as at 1 March 2020.
  • Employees that are re-engaged by a business that was their employer on 1 March 2020 will also be eligible.
  • Self-employed individuals will be eligible to receive the JobKeeper Payment where they have suffered, or expect to suffer, a 30 per cent decline in turnover relative to a comparable a period a year ago (of at least a month).
  • Where employees have multiple employers – only one employer will be eligible to receive the payment. The employee will need to notify their primary employer to claim the JobKeeper Payment on their behalf. The claiming of the tax-free threshold will in most cases be sufficient notification that an employer is the employee’s primary employer.


Payment process

  • Employers will be paid $1,500 per fortnight per eligible employee.
  • Employees will receive, at a minimum, $1,500 per fortnight, before tax, and employers are able to top-up the payment.
  • Where employers participate in the scheme, their employees will receive this payment as follows:
    • If an employee ordinarily receives $1,500 or more in income per fortnight before tax, they will continue to receive their regular income according to their prevailing workplace arrangements.
    • If an employee ordinarily receives less than $1,500 in income per fortnight before tax, the employer must pay their employee, at a minimum, $1,500 per fortnight, before tax.
    • If an employee has been stood down, their employer must pay their employee, at a minimum, $1,500 per fortnight, before tax.
    • If an employee was employed on 1 March 2020, subsequently ceased employment with their employer, and then has been re-engaged by the same eligible employer, the employee will receive, at a minimum, $1,500 per fortnight, before tax.
    • It will be up to the employer if they want to pay superannuation on any additional wage paid because of the JobKeeper Payment.
    • Payments will be made to the employer monthly in arrears by the ATO.

Timing

The subsidy will start on 30 March 2020, with the first payments to be received by employers in the first week of May. Businesses will be able to register their interest in participating in the Payment from 30 March 2020 on the ATO website.

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For more information regarding the JobKeeper Payment, please contact us.