As per my prior post, the Jobkeeper rules are changing after this weekend. Therefore all business clients need to check the following ASAP.

1. Is my business eligible under the new quarterly turnover test,
2. Am I and/or my employees eligible using 1 July as the reference date, and
3. Which Jobkeeper rate applies to each person ie part time or full time

There are multiple deadlines. If you miss them you will not receive the Jobkeeper payments at all, so please note these in your diary …………….

• By 14th October – declare your turnover for September.
• By 31st October – declare your business is eligible and submit your actual turnover for the Sept quarter.
• By 31st October – ensure you have paid employees at least the Jobkeeper amount for October.
• Between 1st and 14th November declare to the ATO which employees are entitled to which rate of JobKeeper AND declare October turnover.
• Keep declaring your turnover every month with the ATO.
• You must tell your employees which rate they will receive within 7 days of telling the ATO.

Below are some of the common questions that clients have been asking so far – if you have other questions or need assistance please get in touch.

• My business was not eligible for Jobkeeper previously, however I will meet the new fall in turnover test, can I apply for Jobkeeper 2.0? Answer: Yes, as long as you meet all the other eligibility criteria and you enrol by 31st October.
• I am an eligible business participant (ie sole trader or partner) what period do I consider when calculating whether I am part time or full time? Answer: February 2020
• Will I have to prove that I worked more than 80 hours in the reference period? Answer: you are expected to be able to substantiate your hours worked. If self employed this may be by reference to emails answered, sales made, quotes prepared, diary notes or some other form of evidence.
• My business is new, are there other criteria for measuring turnover? Answer: yes there are – please get in touch.
• Can I change the eligible business participant of my business to another person? Answer: no you can’t.
• What numbers do I use to calculate the turnover test? You use the ex-gst figures for the quarter calculated using the cash or accruals method as per your BAS. You do not include Jobkeeper receipts, Cashboost receipts or bank interest. You do include sales of equipment or motor vehicles.
• If I change employer, can my new employer claim jobkeeper for me? Answer: subject to the new employer passing the eligibility tests, yes they can.
• If I have two part time jobs, can I change which employer claims for me? Answer: no, if you were employed by both on 1 July.
• If I was claiming as an employee and lose my job, can I then claim as an eligible business participant as a sole trader? Answer: no.
• Can I insist my employees work more hours than normal if they receive Jobkeeper? Answer: No

If you need assistance don’t hesitate to get in touch. We are open for Jobkeeper queries Sat 26th and Sun 27th morning to assist. Otherwise for zoom meetings at a later time please book via this calendly link.

Lindsay 0413 952 180