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Job Keeper Employers Guide

The JobKeeper payment is now open to eligible employers, sole traders and other entities to enable them to pay their eligible employee’s wages of at least $1,500 (before tax) per fortnight. You can enrol for the JobKeeper payment through the ATO's Business Portal, in ATO online services using myGov if you are a sole trader, or through assistance from your Ashfords contact.

This step-by-step guide will assist you in applying for JobKeeper.

JobKeeper Employers Guide

1. Check eligibility criteria

Ensure that you meet all eligibility criteria, this includes:

Employer eligibility
- Calculating your fall in turnover (turnover test)
Employee eligibility
- The specifics to prove you and your employees meet the criteria is explained in detail in our earlier article

2. Registering the Entity

Enrol with the ATO using the Business Portal and authenticate with MyGovID before 31 May 2020
- For assistance with setting up MyGovID for the first time and linking it to your business, please visit:
  https://www.mygovid.gov.au/how-do-i-get-set-up
  https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Bus/Set-up-your-new-access-to-the-Business-Portal/
From 4 May onwards, log onto ATO Business Portal and identify your employees
If you are using Single Touch Payroll (STP) enabled software, details can be confirmed through your accounting software
If you're not using STP, use the Business Portal to confirm your details
You will need to confirm each month that the eligible employees have not changed
If any of your eligible employees change or leave your employment, you will need to notify the ATO through the monthly JobKeeper declaration report

3. Notify Employees

Provide the Jobkeeper Employee Nomination Notice to employees for them to complete
This notice must be completed and returned to you before the end of April if you plan to claim the JobKeeper payment for April
Keep this notice on file and provide a copy to Ashfords, normal rules apply and the notice should be kept for a period of 5 years

4. Pay Employees

Eligible Employers are required to pay $1,500 before tax each fortnight to each eligible employee (starting with the fortnight 30 March – 12 April and ending with the fortnight 14 September - 27 September 2020) to claim the JobKeeper payment
- To be eligible for JobKeeper payments, a minimum of $1,500 before tax must be paid to eligible employees each fortnight
Flexibility is given for the first 2 fortnights, you have until 30 April to pay employees for this period.

For the self-employed & sole traders

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.

As self-employed, you will be eligible for Job Keeper if you:

Have a non-employee individual who is actively engaged in operation of the business
Meet the other relevant eligibility requirement as mentioned above

One eligible business participant will be able to receive the $1,500 JobKeeper payment.

If your entity also has employees, you may be able to claim additional JobKeeper payments of $1,500 per fortnight for each eligible employee.

The entity, not the eligible business participant, receives the JobKeeper payment. The exception is a sole trader, who is both the business entity and an eligible business participant, and so receives the JobKeeper payment themselves.