Support is available if you are impacted by the Victorian lockdowns.

Support for my business

Top-up support

The Victorian Government has announced new cash grants for businesses impacted by the lockdown declared on 15 July 2021.

The cash grants will be paid automatically to businesses that successfully received a grant from the Business Costs Assistance Program Round Two or the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 (including regional businesses).

You will not need to take any further action. The grant will automatically be paid. The payment will be processed from mid-July.

I did not apply for the original grants but would like to apply for the top-up?

BusinessVictoria has stated that more information is coming shortly on this question. The first step is to ensure that you were eligible for the original grants.

Support for me

There are two payments accessible to individuals: the COVID-19 Disaster Payment; and, the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment.

How to apply for support

You can apply for the COVID-19 Disaster Payment through your MyGov account if you have created and linked a Centrelink account. Apply for the Pandemic Leave Payment by phoning Services Australia on 180 22 66.

COVID-19 Disaster Payments

The COVID-19 Disaster Payment is a weekly payment available to eligible workers who can’t attend work or who have lost income because of a lockdown and don’t have access to certain paid leave entitlements. If you are a couple, both people can separately claim the payment.

Timing of the payment

The disaster payment is generally accessible if the hotspot triggering the lockdown lasts more than 7 days as declared by the Chief Medical Officer (you can find the listing here).  However, In Victoria anyone who meets the eligibility criteria will be able to access the payment from day 1 of the lockdown (15 July 2021) but the payment will not be accessible until 23 July 2021.

How much is the payment?

The COVID-19 disaster payment amount available depends on:

• How many hours of work you have lost in the week, and
• If the payment is on or after the third period of the lockdown.

The payment applies to each week of lockdown you are eligible and is taxable (you will need to declare it in your income tax return).

Eligibility

The COVID-19 disaster payment is emergency relief. It is available if you:

• Live or work in an area that is subject to a state or territory public health order that imposes restriction on movement and is declared a Commonwealth COVID-19 hotspot, or
• Have visited an area that is a Commonwealth COVID-19 hotspot and you are subsequently subject to a restricted movement order when you return to other parts of New South Wales or interstate.

And you:

• Are an Australian citizen, permanent resident or temporary visa holder who has the right to work in Australia, and
• Are aged 17 years or over, and
• Have lost 8 hours or more of work or a full day of your usual work as a result of the restrictions – losing work includes being stood down by your employer, not being assigned any shifts for the week of restrictions and being unable to work from home. Losing a full day of what you were scheduled to work but could not work because of a restricted movement order. This includes not being able to attend a full-time, part-time or casual shift of less than 8 hours, and
• Don’t have paid leave available through your employer (other than annual leave), and
• Are not receiving income support payments, a state or territory pandemic payment, Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment or state small business payment for the same period. Income support payments include Age Pension, Austudy, Carer Payment, Disability Support Pension, Farm Household Allowance, JobSeeker Payment, Parenting Payment, Partner Allowance, Special Benefit, Widow Allowance, Youth Allowance and Income Support Supplement, Service Pension or Veteran Pension from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment

The Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment is for those who have been advised by their relevant health authority to self-isolate or quarantine because they:

• Test positive to COVID-19;
• Have been identified as a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case;
• Care for a child, 16 years or under, who has COVID-19; or
• Care for a child, 16 years or under, who has been identified as a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case; or
• Care for a person who has tested positive to COVID-19.

How much is the payment?

The payment is $1,500 for each 14 day period you are advised to self-isolate or quarantine. If you are a couple, you both can claim this payment if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Eligibility

The Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment is available if you:

• Are an Australian citizen, permanent resident or temporary visa holder who has the right to work in Australia; and
• Are aged 17 years or over; and
• Are unable to go to work and earn an income; and
• Do not have appropriate leave entitlements, including pandemic sick leave, personal leave or carers leave; and
• Are not getting any income support payment, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Paid parental leave or Dad and Partner Pay. Income support payments include Age Pension, Austudy, Carer Payment, Disability Support Pension, Farm Household Allowance, JobSeeker Payment, Parenting Payment, Partner Allowance, Special Benefit, Widow Allowance, Youth Allowance and Income Support Supplement, Service Pension or Veteran Pension from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

The payment is taxable and you will need to declare it in your income tax return.

If you are uncertain of your eligibility, talk to Services Australia.

How to contact us

We’re available to assist you with the lockdown support for your business.

Some of the details for the grants are not yet available, and the application websites are under extreme loads making the sites difficult to access. We will keep you up to date.

If you need assistance, contact our office on 08 6118 6111 or email hello@prescottsolutions.com.au

COVID19 support packages are fast changing and the guidance is based on information available as at 19 July 2021. The material and contents provided in this publication are informative in nature only.  It is not intended to be advice and you should not act specifically on the basis of this information alone.  If expert assistance is required, professional advice should be obtained.

If your business has been adversely impacted by the recent lockdown in NSW, support is available.

The NSW and Federal Governments have announced a series of new measures to support business during extended lockdowns of four weeks or more.

• Up to $15,000 through the expanded NSW 2021 COVID-19 business grants program
• Up to $10,000 cashflow support per week
• NSW micro business grants
• NSW payroll tax deferrals and a 25% payroll tax waiver
• NSW Rent protections and grants
• NSW Sector support for the arts and accommodation sector

You can streamline the process of applying for business support by ensuring:

• Your business and contact details are up to date on the Australian Business Register
• Your personal and business details are up to date and you have a MyServiceNSW account with a business profile

2021 COVID-19 Business Grant of up to $15,000

The previously announced small business grants have been increased to up to $15,000 and expanded to eligible businesses (including not-for-profits and sole traders) with annual wages of up to $10 million.

The value of the grant is determined by the impact of the lockdown on your turnover. Your business will need to prove a decline in turnover across a minimum 2 week period after the commencement of the major restrictions.

How to apply

Applications are made online through ServiceNSW. Applications close at 11:59pm on 13 September 2021.

Eligibility

The 2021 COVID-19 business grant is available if you:

• Have an active ABN; and
• Can demonstrate that your business was operating in NSW as at 1 June 2021; and
• Have had total annual Australian wages of $10m or less as at 1 July 2020; and
• Have had an aggregated annual turnover between $75,000 and $50m (inclusive) for the year ended 30 June 2020; and
• Have business costs for which there is no other government support available; and
• Maintain employee headcount as at 13 July 2021; and
• Have experienced a decline in turnover of at least 30% over a minimum 2-week period from 26 June 2021 to 26 July 2021, compared to the same period in 2019.

Businesses that are not able to meet all the eligibility criteria can still potentially qualify for the grant, but will need to contact ServiceNSW to discuss the situation before applying.

Businesses and not-for-profit organisations on the NSW border with Victoria impacted by the lockdown orders that began on 27 May 2021 may use a different comparison period to demonstrate a decline in turnover. For each of the 3 grant amounts, these businesses must demonstrate a decline in turnover over a minimum 2-week period from 27 May 2021 to 26 July 2021.

Non-employing businesses are not eligible to apply if persons associated with the business, and who derive income from it, have applied for, or are receiving, the Commonwealth COVID-19 Disaster Payment.

We can work with you to help assess your eligibility and apply for the grant!

JobSaver: Cashflow Support of up to $10,000

A cashflow payment between a minimum of $1,500 and maximum of $10,000 per week based on 40% of the NSW payroll payments of your business (including not-for-profits).

Businesses without employees that meet the eligibility criteria such as sole traders, will be able to access a payment of $1,000 per week.

The cashflow support will cease when lockdown restrictions are eased or when the Commonwealth hotspot declaration is removed.

The cashflow support payments will be made weekly.

How to apply

Applications for the cashflow support have not yet opened but you can register your interest through ServiceNSW.

Eligibility

• Annual turnover between $75,000 and $50 million
• Demonstrate a 30% or more decline in turnover
• Maintain your full time, part time and long term casual staffing level as of 13 July 2021
• Impacted by the current Greater Sydney COVID-19 restrictions

$1,500 Micro Business Grants

A new grant for micro businesses (including sole traders) providing $1,500 per fortnight while lockdown restrictions apply. The grants are available from week one of the lockdown until restrictions are eased.

How to apply

Applications for the cashflow support have not yet opened but you can register your interest through ServiceNSW.

Eligibility

• Annual turnover of more than $30,000 and less than $75,000
• Demonstrate a 30% or more decline in turnover
• The business provides the primary income source for a person associated with the business
• Impacted by the current Greater Sydney COVID-19 restrictions

Payroll tax relief

Payroll tax and lodgement deadline deferred

NSW payroll tax has been deferred for July and August 2021 until 7 October 2021 for all businesses.

The due date for the 2020-21 annual reconciliation has also been deferred until 7 October 2021.

Previous payroll tax deferrals and payment arrangements for 2020-21 due in July 2021 have not been deferred.

25% payroll tax waiver for businesses between $1.2m and $10m

Businesses with Australian wages of between $1.2 million and $10 million that have experienced a 30% decline in turnover, will be provided with a 25% payroll tax waiver in 2021-22. Further details of the reduction will be available by the end of August from RevenueNSW.

Rent protections and grants

Commercial and retail rent protections will be reinstituted.

Eviction moratorium

Legislative amendments will be introduced shortly providing a short-term eviction moratorium for rental arrears where a residential tenant suffers loss of income of 25% due to COVID-19 and meets certain other criteria. The moratorium applies to tenants with an annual turnover of $50 million or less.

Commercial and retail landlords will need to attempt mediation before recovering a security bond, or locking-out or evicting a tenant impacted by Public Health Orders.

Land tax relief

Land tax relief equal to the value of rent reductions provided by commercial, retail and residential landlords to financially distressed tenants will be available for up to 100% of the 2021 land tax liability.

See Residential Tenancies Moratorium Application for rent negotiation

Specific sector based support

Arts community

A $75 million support package will be provided to the performing arts sector to be administered by Create NSW.

The package will be delivered in two stages:

• Immediate support to provide relief to eligible organisations who were staging performances during the period covered by the Public Health Orders.
• Funding available to support eligible organisations to reschedule performances once it is safe for restrictions to ease.

Eligible organisations include performing arts organisations with heavy reliance on box office income, including not-for-profit performing arts companies who were staging, or scheduled to stage performances during the lockdown period, commercial producers and some live music venues.

Organisations will need to provide evidence of performances scheduled, venues and average ticket prices.

CreateNSW will open applications from 23 July 2021.

Accommodation sector

A $26 million support package for eligible tourism accommodation providers that have lost business during the school holiday period. Assistance will be based on the number of cancelled ‘room nights’ of:

• $2,000 for up to 10 room nights
• $5,000 for 11 or more room nights

To be eligible, you will need to be able to show evidence of cancellations for lost room nights between 25 June and 11 July 2021.

Gaming machine tax deferrals

All businesses paying hotel or club gaming machine tax will be able to defer the taxes for the 2021-22 financial year:

• Hotels: deferrals for June and September quarter until 21 January 2022.
• Clubs: deferrals for the August quarter until 21 December 2022.

How to contact us

We’re available to assist you with the lockdown support for your business.

Some of the details for the grants are not yet available, and the application websites are under extreme loads making the sites difficult to access. We will keep you up to date.

If you need assistance, contact our office on 08 6118 6111 or email hello@prescottsolutions.com.au

COVID19 support packages are fast changing and the guidance is based on information available as at 19 July 2021. The material and contents provided in this publication are informative in nature only.  It is not intended to be advice and you should not act specifically on the basis of this information alone.  If expert assistance is required, professional advice should be obtained.

The highly infectious Delta COVID variant is triggering lock-downs across the country. We look at what help is available and how you can get it.

For you

COVID-19 disaster payment

The COVID-19 disaster payment is available to eligible workers who can’t attend work or who have lost income because of a lockdown and don’t have access to appropriate paid leave entitlements. And, it only applies from the eighth day of lockdown. That is, there is nothing you can claim for the first week of a lockdown.

The payment amount depends on how many hours of work you have lost in the lockdown period (week).

Hours Lost & Payment Amount
<20 hours – $325
20+ hours – $500

Applications for the disaster payment need to be made weekly.

The payment is available if you are not earning an income or have lost work and you:

• Are an Australian citizen, permanent resident or temporary visa holder who has the right to work in Australia, and
• Are aged 17 years or over, and
• Can’t attend work and lost income on or after day 8 of a COVID-19 lockdown, and
• Don’t have access to appropriate paid leave entitlements through your employer (other than annual leave), and
• Are not getting an income support payment, a state or territory pandemic payment, Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment or state small business payment for the same period.

Until recently, a liquid assets test applied that meant that if you had more than $10,000, you could not receive the payment. However, the Prime Minster has stated that this test will be lifted from Thursday, 8 July 2021.

During Victoria’s lockdown, 75,410 claims were made for the disaster payment, 57,730 were granted. In NSW, over 67,000 residents have applied for the payment to date.

The disaster payment is only accessible if the hotspot triggering the lockdown lasts more than 7 days as declared by the Chief Medical Officer (you can find the listing here).

Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment

The Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment of $1,500 for each 14 day period is for those who have been advised by the health authorities to self-isolate or quarantine because:

• You have coronavirus (COVID-19)
• You’ve been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19
• You care for a child, 16 years or under, who has COVID-19
• You care for a child, 16 years or under, who’s been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19.

The payment might also be accessible if you are a carer for someone impacted.

Eligibility for this disaster payment is very similar except that you need to use any appropriate leave entitlements if it is available to you (for example, pandemic sick leave, personal leave or carer leave).

Support for business

New South Wales

The NSW Government has announced new grants of up to $10,000 for businesses adversely impacted by the recent COVID-19 lockdowns. Eligibility for the grant is streamed into general business, and hospitality and tourism.

The value of the grant is determined by the impact of the lockdown on your turnover. Your business will need to prove a decline in turnover across a minimum 2 week period after the commencement of the major restrictions.

Turnover Decline & Grant Amount
Over 70% – $10,000
50% to <70% – $7,000
30% to <50% – $5,000

The grant is limited to businesses (including sole traders) with:

• A NSW registered ABN or able to demonstrate they are physically located and primarily operating in NSW; and
• Annual turnover of more than $75,000 for the year ending 30 June 2020; but
• Below the NSW Government 2020-21 payroll tax threshold of $1.2m as at 1 July 2020; with
• Fewer than 20 full time equivalent employees

The Hospitality & Tourism COVID-19 Support grant is limited to tourism or hospitality businesses with:

• A NSW registered ABN or able to demonstrate they are physically located and primarily operating in NSW; and
• Annual turnover of more than $75,000 for the year ending 30 June 2020; and
• An annual Australian wages bill below $10m as at 1 July 2020.

Applications for the grant open in late July

update 13 July 2021

Small and medium business support payments

From week four of the lockdown, the Commonwealth will fund 50 per cent of the cost of a new small and medium business support payment to be implemented and administered by Service NSW.

• Eligible entities will receive 40 per cent of their NSW payroll payments, at a minimum of $1500 and a maximum of $10,000 per week.
• Entities will be eligible if their turnover is 30 per cent lower than an equivalent two week period in 2019.
• The new small to medium business support payment will be available to non-employing and employing entities in NSW, including not for profits, with an annual turnover between $75,000 and $50 million.
• To receive the payment, entities will be required to maintain their full time, part time and long term casual staffing level as of 13 July 2021.

For non-employing businesses, such as sole traders, the payment will be set at $1,000 per week.

Businesses can register their interest from 14 July 2021 at Service NSW

The assistance will cease when current lockdown restrictions are eased or when the Commonwealth hotspot declaration is removed.

Northern Territory

The Territory Business Lockdown Payment Program provides a payment of $1,000 to eligible Territory enterprises with less than 20 full time equivalent staff.  Applications close on 16 July 2021.

Queensland

A Small Business COVID-19 Adaption Grant of between $2,000 and $10,000 is available to eligible regional Queensland businesses. The grant requires your business to have suffered a decline in turnover of at least 30% because of COVID-19 for at least one month since 23 March 2020. The grant is accessible to businesses with less than 20 staff.

Victoria

Grants and other business support programs are available targeting specific industries such as live events, hospitality, and the employment of priority jobseekers. See Business Victoria.

Western Australia

A second round of Small Business Lockdown Assistance Grants of $3,000 are available to eligible businesses in Perth, Peel and regional WA impacted by recent lockdowns. Applications have not yet open but you can register for updates. Specific industry assistance is also available.

Applications for the grant open 19th July

South Australia & ACT

Direct grants and funding to South Australian and ACT businesses are applicable when extended lock-downs are imposed.

Following our previous blog, we now have more clarity regarding JobMaker and have compiled a guide for you here.

To recap, JobMaker is a credit paid quarterly to eligible businesses for new employees hired on or after 7th October 2020 in a newly formed role.

The JobMaker payment will depend upon three tests being satisfied:

• Employer eligibility
• Employee eligibility
• ‘Additionality’ test

As well as the above tests, there are a number of exclusions from the scheme which need to be considered when determining if a business is able to access JobMaker.

Due to the restrictions to eligibility this scheme will be challenging to access for employers and prospective employees, which is contrary to what the media has previously suggested. So for those businesses that want to apply for JobMaker it is important that they have a clear understanding of the eligibility requirements, the enrolment process and ongoing compliance.

For further detail about the scheme, refer to our comprehensive guide to JobMaker

Important Dates

Some important JobMaker dates to remember:

• The first JobMaker period ends on 6 January 2021.
• The ATO have extended the enrolment deadline so you can enrol for JobMaker at any time before the end of the claim period for the relevant JobMaker period.
• For the first JobMaker period, which ends on 6 January 2021, the claim period ends on 30 April 2021. This means that the deadline for enrolling with the ATO for entities wanting to make a JobMaker claim for that period is also 30 April 2021.
• Claims for the first JobMaker period can be made from 1 February 2021.

Let us know if we can assist you in any way by contacting our office on 08 6118 6111 or hello@prescottsolutions.com.au

We’ve had quite a few questions about the JobMaker hiring credit announced in the 2020-21 Federal Budget. The legislation enabling the JobMaker scheme has not passed Parliament as yet and until this occurs, the JobMaker rules are not certain and may change. More details should be available soon and we’ll let you know as soon as we have some certainty. Here is what has been announced so far:

What is JobMaker?

JobMaker is a credit available to eligible businesses for hiring additional employees (not if you are merely replacing someone who left). The hiring credit is available for jobs created from 7 October 2020 until 6 October 2021.

The credit provides:
• $200 per week for new employees between 16 to 29 years of age, and
• $100 a week for new employees between 30 to 35 years of age.

Payment is from the start date of the employee for 12 months.

When do the credits start?

Assuming the legislation passes Parliament and your business and the employee are eligible, and the ‘additionality’ test is passed (see How can we access JobMaker), credits can be claimed for employees hired from 7 October 2020 until 6 October 2021. The credit will be claimed quarterly in arrears by the employer from the ATO from 1 February 2021. The credit is an incentive for the employer to support wage costs and not passed onto the employee.

How can we access JobMaker?

There are three tests for JobMaker:

Employer eligibility

• Has an ABN
• Up to date with tax lodgements
• Registered for PAYG
• Reporting through single touch payroll
• Keeps adequate records of the paid hours worked by the employee they are claiming the credit for
• Another employer is not claiming JobMaker for the same employee

Employee eligibility

• Received the JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance (Other) or Parenting Payment for at least one month within the three months before they were hired
• Between 16 and 35 years of age at the time their employment started
• Worked at least 20 hours per week on average for the full weeks employed for the period being claimed. If the employee worked less than 20 hours, the employer cannot claim JobMaker for them during that period
• Started work between 7 October 2020 and 6 October 2021
• The first year of employment with the employer
• The employer is not receiving other forms of assistance from the Commonwealth Government for the employee, for example JobKeeper or an apprenticeship subsidy

Additional employee test (additionality test) The employer’s:

• Total employee headcount on the last day of the reporting period increased by at least one additional employee compared initially to 30 September 2020, then to the previous reporting period.
• Total payroll for the reporting period increased compared initially to the September quarter 2020 (July, August, September 2020), then to the previous reporting period. The hiring credit cannot exceed the increase in payroll.

Government entities or agencies, banks and other institutions subject to the bank levy, businesses in liquidation, and foreign Government entities (unless a resident entity), are unable to access JobMaker.

I can only claim JobMaker if the number of employees and payroll increases. What happens if one of my team resign? Through no fault of the business?

Your business can only receive JobMaker for your eligible employees if total employee headcount and payroll increases. If the headcount or payroll decreases or remains the same, JobMaker cannot be claimed for that period.

For example, if you had three staff at September 2020 and hired an additional two employees in late October 2020, your business can claim JobMaker for the two new employees assuming the business and the employer are eligible and payroll has increased compared to the September 2020 quarter. However, in December 2020, one of your original staff members resigns. As a result, your business can only claim JobMaker for one eligible employee in December as your headcount has increased by one, not two, compared to the September 2020 baseline.

A similar baseline concept applies to payroll. If you employed new eligible employees in October 2020 but your overall payroll remained the same or only increased marginally because the hours of your existing staff reduced when the two new employees were employed, then the JobMaker credit will only be the additional payroll amount. That is, if the JobMaker credit for the two employees for the quarter is $8,960, but payroll compared to the September 2020 quarter only increased by $1,200, then the JobMaker credit you receive would be $1,200. The JobMaker credit cannot exceed the increase in payroll.

Each month, employers will need to ensure they pass these ‘additionality’ tests before claiming.

Your headcount and payroll increase is measured on the last day of each reporting period from the date your first new employee started. For example, if your first new employee joined in October 2020, your baseline is set at that point. If a new employee starts in January 2021, your payroll and headcount baseline is measured from the last reporting period, in this case, December 2020 for headcount and the December quarter for payroll. That is, your baseline commences from the date your new employee starts and then is reassessed each reporting period to ensure there is an increase.

If I don’t hire new staff until January 2021, can I claim JobMaker for 12 months or only up to 6 October 2021?

JobMaker is available for 12 months for eligible employees hired from 7 October 2020 until 6 October 2021. If you hire new employees from January 2021, JobMaker is available for 12 months for these employees assuming that the employees and business are eligible and the ‘additionality’ test is passed.

The baseline for the ‘additionality’ tests – headcount and payroll – starts from the start date of your new employee. The Government has indicated that the baseline for the ‘additionality’ test will be adjusted in the second year of the program to ensure an employer can only receive JobMaker for 12 months for each additional position created. The detail of exactly how these rules will work has not been released as yet.

My business did not have employees in September but I hired my first employee in late October. Can I claim the JobMaker credit for them?

Businesses with no employees on 30 September, cannot claim JobMaker for their first employee. However, JobMaker can be claimed for your second and any subsequent employees that started on or before 6 October 2021.

Can the business get JobKeeper and JobMaker?

No. Once your business exits JobKeeper and is no longer receiving JobKeeper payments for any employees or business participants, if eligible, the business could then start to receive JobMaker credits. The business is eligible for the hiring credit in the reporting period following your JobKeeper exit date.

If you have any question about how JobMaker can help your business, please contact our office on 08 6118 6111 or email hello@prescottsolutions.com.au

The JobMaker credit and the details of how the rules will apply are subject to change. Please do not make decisions based on the JobMaker information available as the final shape of the legislation could change. We will provide a summary of the rules and how you can claim the JobMaker hiring credit as soon as the rules are confirmed.

This round of JobKeeper is more complex than the first, and may be harder to prove for some businesses. If you have been unable to meet the ‘basic’ turnover test by comparing the September 2020 quarter to the same period in 2019, there may be options available under the Alternative Tests, including:

• Irregular Turnover Test
• New Business Test
• Disposals, Acquisitions or Restructures Test
• Substantial Increase In Turnover Test
• Drought and Natural Disaster Test
• Sole Trader or Small Partnership with Sickness, Injury or Leave Test

We’ve summarised the key details in this update.

Let us know if we can assist you in any way by contacting our office on 08 6118 6111 or hello@prescottsolutions.com.au

Click the link below to download your copy of the JobKeeper update

JobKeeper from 28 September 2020 – including alternative tests

The first tranche of JobKeeper ends on 27 September 2020. Those needing further support will need to reassess their eligibility and prove an actual decline in turnover.

To receive JobKeeper from 28 September 2020, eligible employers need to assess their decline in turnover with reference to actual GST turnover for the September 2020 quarter (for JobKeeper payments between 28 September to 3 January 2021), and again for the December 2020 quarter (for payments between 4 January 2021 to 28 March 2021).

From 28 September 2020, the JobKeeper payment rate will reduce and split into a higher and lower rate based on the number of hours the employee worked in a specific 28 day period prior to 1 March 2020 or 1 July 2020.

To access JobKeeper payments from 28 September 2020, there are three questions that need to be assessed:

1. Is my business eligible?
2. Am I and/or my employees eligible? and
3. What JobKeeper rate applies?

We’ve summarised the key details in this update.

Let us know if we can assist you in any way.

Click the link below to download your copy of the JobKeeper update

JobKeeper from 28 September 2020

Between April to May 2020, JobKeeper was taken up by 920,000 organisations and around 3.5 million individuals – 30% of pre-Coronavirus private sector employment.

There have been a number of Government announcements on JobKeeper that impact on business and employee eligibility.

Employees that previously failed the JobKeeper eligibility test as they were not employed on 1 March 2020, may now be eligible for payments from 3 August 2020 if they were employed on 1 July 2020 (see Eligible employees in the report).

From 28 September 2020, employers seeking to claim JobKeeper payments will need to reassess their eligibility and prove an actual decline in turnover. From this date, the JobKeeper payment rate will reduce and split into a higher and lower rate based on the number of hours the employee worked in the 4 weeks prior to 1 March 2020 or 1 July 2020.

To access JobKeeper payments from 28 September 2020, there are two questions that need to be assessed:

• Is my business eligible? And
• What JobKeeper rate applies to my eligible employees?

We’ve summarised the key details for employers on JobKeeper 2.0 in this update, but just remember that the proposed changes are not yet law and the details could still change.

If you have any questions, contact us today.

Click the link below to download your copy of the JobKeeper update

JobKeeper 2.0 V2 – The Future of JobKeeper 07.08.2020

We know that you are all experiencing information overload at the moment, but we do feel it’s important to let you know that the time frame for the JobKeeper application is short, and if you are intending to apply for it you need to start taking action now. To get started, we have prepared a Questionnaire that will help to determine your eligibility, please click the link to complete this form, or for further information please continue reading.

Click Here to Start your JobKeeper Questionnaire

VALUE TO YOU OF JOBKEEPER

If you are eligible to receive the JobKeeper payment for all your eligible employees for the entire 6 month period, this scheme could be of huge assistance to you and your business during these difficult times.

As an example, an eligible sole director business with three eligible employees, could stand to get up to $78,000 from the government during the next six months to see them through this challenging time. 

JOBKEEPER PAYMENT OVERVIEW

JobKeeper is a Federal Government subsidy paid to eligible businesses effected by COVID-19 to cover the costs of their employee’s wages.

Affected employers will be able to claim a fortnightly subsidy payment of $1,500 per eligible employee from 30 March 2020, for a maximum period of 6 months.

This full amount of $1,500 must then be paid to all eligible employees, whether they are full time, part time or long-term casuals. Here is a brief summary of how the JobKeeper payments are made:
• They are paid by the ATO within 14 days of month end.
• The first payment will be starting in the first week of May 2020.
• The eligible payroll periods are every 14 days, commencing 30 March 2020.
• Monthly employer payroll reporting is required to trigger the payment by the ATO – using Single Touch Payroll (STP)

The employer will continue to receive the subsidy payments for eligible employees while they are eligible for the payments. While the program is expected to run for 6 months, payments will stop if the employee is no longer employed by the business.

Business Participation Entitlement

Sole traders and some other entities (such as partnerships, trusts or companies) may be entitled to the JobKeeper Payment scheme under the business participation entitlement. A limit applies of one $1,500 JobKeeper payment per fortnight for one eligible business participant. Sole traders, one partner in a partnership, one beneficiary of a trust, and one director or shareholder of a company may be regarded as an eligible business participant.

Important Dates

There are a number of moving parts with JobKeeper, below is a summary of the Key dates for lodgements with the ATO

• 20 April – enrolments open for JobKeeper with ATO
• 26 April – enrolment deadline for employers for April
• 30 April – check minimum $3,000 paid to all eligible employees
• 30 April – eligible employee forms are all on file
• 4 May – confirm eligible employees and complete application with ATO
• 7 May – report monthly GST turnover & confirm eligible employees
• 7 June – report monthly GST turnover & confirm eligible employees >
• 7 July – report monthly GST turnover & confirm eligible employees
• 7 August – report monthly GST turnover & confirm eligible employees
• 7 September – report monthly GST turnover & confirm eligible employees
• 7 October – report monthly GST turnover & confirm eligible employees

OBLIGATIONS + RISKS FOR YOU

If a wrong claim is made or if the ATO in the future decides that you were ineligible to receive the JobKeeper payment, the ATO will require you to repay them any JobKeeper payments that you have received plus penalties and interest. The key risks to you as the employer include:

1. The employer certifies the facts provided to the ATO and the JobKeeper claim made.
2. The employer receives significant JobKeeper payments over a 6 month period. For example, an employer with 10 employees would receive $195,000, and an employer with 20 employees would receive $390,000.
3. If the employer makes a mistake and is found to be ineligible by the ATO (for example, its turnover is not down by 30%), then they may have to repay all amounts received back to the ATO.
4. An employee ceases to be eligible if they cease employment during the life of this JobKeeper scheme. Also, the ATO requires you to keep all records in relation to your JobKeeper claim for a 5 year period.

As outlined earlier, if you would like assistance with this process we have prepared a Questionnaire that will help to determine your eligibility. It will also help us to determine those clients that require assistance with the application process in a timely and efficient manner.

Click Here to Start your JobKeeper Questionnaire

If you want to discuss this please call our office on 08 6118 6111.

A subsidy of $1,500 per fortnight per employee, administered by the ATO, will be paid to businesses that have experienced a downturn of more than 30% (50% for businesses over $1bn).

To be a part of the subsidy, employers will need to ensure that their employees receive at least $1,500 per fortnight (before tax).

JobKeeper subsidy basic criteria
Date	From 30 March 2020 for six months
	For employees employed at and from 1 March 2020
	First payments in first week of May 2020
	Eligibility to be reassessed each month
Applies to	Based on comparable periods:
	- Employers <$1 bn that have experienced a downturn of more than 30%
	- Employers >$1bn that have experienced a downturn of more than 50%

♦♦♦Note:  This is our current understanding of JobKeeper subsidy as at 31 March 2020.  The relevant legislation has not been passed yet and may be subject to change.♦♦♦

Eligibility

There are two levels of eligibility; for employers and employees.

Eligible employers are those with:

• Turnover below $1bn that have experienced a reduction in turnover of more than 30% relative to a comparable period 12 months ago (of at least a month); or
• Turnover of $1bn or more that have experienced a reduction in turnover of more than 50% relative to a comparable period 12 months ago (of at least a month); and
• Are not subject to the Major Bank Levy.

Sole traders and the self-employed with an ABN, and not-for-profits (including charities) that meet the turnover tests are eligible for the JobKeeper payment.

Eligible employees are those who:

• Were employed by the relevant employer at 1 March 2020; and
• Are currently employed by the employer (including those who have been stood down or re-hired); and
• Are full time, part-time, or long term casuals (a casual employee employed on a regular basis for 12 months as at 1 March); and
• Are at least 16 years of age; and
• Are an Australian citizen, hold a permanent visa, are 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; and
• Are not in receipt of a JobKeeper Payment from another employer.

While it appears that businesses without employees can potentially qualify for JobKeeper Payments, it is not clear at this stage what conditions will need to be satisfied.

How the support is calculated

The ATO will administer this program and will make the $1,500 payments based on payroll information. The payments will be made monthly in arrears, so it is essential that you ensure your business and your employees continually meet the eligibility criteria.

The business will continue to receive the payments for eligible employees while they are eligible for the payments. While the program is expected to run for 6 months, payments will stop if the employee is no longer employed by the relevant employer.

How the support is provided

To access the JobKeeper subsidy, you should call us to assist you with the registration process and calculations.

If you want to manage the process yourself, you must:

• Register
  • Applications are not yet open. However, you should register your intent to apply for the JobKeeper subsidy with the ATO (here). The ATO will provide you with regular updates and advise you when you can lodge your application
• Assess turnover
  • Ensure you have an accurate record of your revenue for the 2018-19 income year and for the 2019-20 year to date
  • Ensure you keep an accurate record of revenue from March 2020 onwards
  • Compare your revenue for the whole of March 2019 with the whole of March 2020
  • Measure the % decline in your revenue and ensure it has declined by more than 30%
  • If you are not eligible in March, you may become eligible in another month
• Identify eligible employees
  • Nominate the employees eligible for the JobKeeper payments – you will need to provide this information to the ATO and keep that information up to date each month. The ATO will use Single Touch Payroll to prepopulate the information in most cases.
  • Notify all eligible employees that they are receiving a JobKeeper payment. Employees can only be registered with one employer.
  • Pay eligible employees at least $1,500 per fortnight (before tax). If an employee normally receives $1,500 or more per fortnight before tax the employee should continue to receive their regular income. Note: It is unclear at this stage if the employer must continue to pay their employee the same salary if it was more than the subsidy amount.
  • Pay superannuation guarantee on normal salary and wages amounts paid to employees. If the employee normally receives less than $1,500 per fortnight before tax, the employer can decide whether to pay superannuation on the additional amount that is paid as a result of the JobKeeper program.

Sole traders and the self-employed can register their interest in applying for the JobKeeper payment with the ATO. These businesses will need to provide an ABN for the business, nominate an individual to receive the payment, provide the individual’s TFN and declare their continued eligibility for the payments. Payments will be monthly to the individual’s bank account.

Example

Adam owns a real estate business with two employees. The business is still operating at this stage but Adam expects that turnover will decline by more than 30% in in the coming months. The employees are:

Employee	Employment Type	Salary per fortnight (before tax)
Anne	Full-time	$3,000
Nick	Part-time	$1,000

Both Anne and Nick are still working in the business.

Adam registers his interest in the JobKeeper scheme (from 30 March 2020), then applies to the ATO providing details of his eligible employees. Adam also advises Anne and Nick that he has nominated them as eligible employees to receive the payment. Adam will provide information to the ATO on a monthly basis and receive the payment monthly in arrears.

Adam’s business is eligible to receive the JobKeeper Payment for each employee.

For Anne, the business will:

• Continue to pay Anne her full-time salary of $3,000 per fortnight before tax,
• Receive $1,500 per fortnight from the JobKeeper Payment
• Pay superannuation guarantee on Anne’s salary

For Nick, the business will:

• Continue to pay Nick $1,000 per fortnight before tax salary
• Pay Nick an additional $500 per fortnight before tax (totalling $1,500)
• Receive $1,500 per fortnight from the JobKeeper Payment
• Pay superannuation guarantee on Nick’s wage of $1,000 per fortnight (but can choose to pay SG on the full $1,500)

Adapted from Treasury fact sheet: JobKeeper payment — information for employers

Next Steps

Like everything surrounding Covid19, the changes are fast-paced.  With a number of measures already introduced, it is becoming increasingly complex.

If you have any questions about how the various Government Packages may assist you or your business, please contact us at Prescott Business Solutions on 08 6118 6111 or hello@prescottsolutions.com.au

More Information

• Treasury
  • Supporting businesses to retain jobs https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-03/Fact_sheet_supporting_businesses_4.pdf
  • JobKeeper Payment – Information for Employers https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-03/Fact_sheet_Info_for_Employers_0.pdf
  • JobKeeper Payment – Information for employees https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-03/Fact_sheet_Info_for_Employees_0.pdf
• ATO
  • JobKeeper payment & Register your Interest https://www.ato.gov.au/general/gen/JobKeeper-payment