Extension of the JobKeeper Payment
Sadly, many Australian businesses are a long way from trending back to 'normal' as we approach 27 September 2020, the original date that JobKeeper was set to end. Thankfully the government has announced an extension of the JobKeeper Payment, with additional turnover qualifications.
The JobKeeper Payment, which was originally due to run until 27 September 2020, will now continue to be available to eligible businesses (including the self-employed) and not-for-profits until 28 March 2021.
The payment rate of $1,500 per fortnight for eligible employees and business participants will be reduced to $1,200 per fortnight from 28 September 2020 and to $1,000 per fortnight from 4 January 2021. From 28 September 2020, lower payment rates will also apply for employees and eligible business participants that worked fewer than 20 hours per week.
From 28 September 2020, businesses and not-for-profits seeking to claim the JobKeeper Payment will be required to demonstrate that they have suffered an ongoing significant decline in turnover using actual GST turnover (rather than projected GST turnover). Businesses and not-for-profits will be required to reassess their eligibility with reference to their actual GST turnover in the June and September 2020 quarters. They will need to demonstrate that they have met the relevant decline in turnover test in both of those quarters to be eligible for the JobKeeper Payment from 28 September 2020 to 3 January 2021.
From 4 January 2021, businesses and not-for-profits will need to further reassess their turnover to be eligible for the JobKeeper Payment. They will need to demonstrate that they have met the relevant decline in turnover test with reference to their actual GST turnover in each of the June, September and December 2020 quarters to remain eligible for the JobKeeper Payment from 4 January 2021 to 28 March 2021.
To be eligible for JobKeeper Payments under the extension, businesses and not-for-profits will still need to demonstrate that they have experienced a decline in turnover of at least:
- 50 per cent for those with an aggregated turnover of more than $1 billion;
- 30 per cent for those with an aggregated turnover of $1 billion or less;
- 15 per cent for Australian Charities and Not for profits Commission-registered charities (excluding schools and universities).
If a business or not-for-profit does not meet the additional turnover tests for the extension period, this does not affect their eligibility prior to 28 September 2020.
The JobKeeper Payment will continue to remain open to new recipients, provided they meet the existing eligibility requirements and the additional turnover tests during the extension period.
The extended JobKeeper Payment rates
From 28 September 2020 to 3 January 2021, the JobKeeper Payment rates will be:
- $1,200 per fortnight for all eligible employees who, in the four weeks of pay periods before 1 March 2020, were working in the business or not-for-profit for 20 hours or more a week on average, and for eligible business participants who were actively engaged in the business for 20 hours or more per week on average in the month of February 2020; and
- $750 per fortnight for other eligible employees and business participants.
From 4 January 2021 to 28 March 2021, the JobKeeper Payment rates will be:
- $1,000 per fortnight for all eligible employees who, in the four weeks of pay periods before 1 March 2020, were working in the business or not-for-profit for 20 hours or more a week on average and for business participants who were actively engaged in the business for 20 hours or more per week on average in the month of February 2020; and
- $650 per fortnight for other eligible employees and business participants.
Businesses and not-for-profits will be required to nominate which payment rate they are claiming for each of their eligible employees (or business participants).
The Commissioner of Taxation will have discretion to set out alternative tests where an employee or business participant’s hours were not usual during the February and/or June 2020 reference period (the period with the higher number of hours worked is to be used for employees with 1 March 2020 eligibility). For example, this will include where the employee was on leave, volunteering during the bushfires, or not employed for all or part of February or June 2020.
Guidance will be provided by the ATO where the employee was paid in non-weekly or non-fortnightly pay periods and in other circumstances the general rules do not cover.
The JobKeeper Payment will continue to be made by the ATO to employers in arrears. Employers will continue to be required to make payments to employees equal to, or greater than, the amount of the JobKeeper Payment (before tax), based on the payment rate that applies to each employee. This is referred to as the wage condition.
The eligibility rules for employees remain unchanged.
Additional new turnover tests
In order to be eligible for the JobKeeper Payment after 27 September 2020, businesses will now only have to demonstrate that their actual GST turnovers have significantly decreased in the previous quarter.
For these purposes, the applicable rate of decline in turnover required to qualify for JobKeeper is determined in accordance with the existing rules (i.e., 50% for entities with an aggregated turnover of more than $1 billion, 30% for entities with an aggregated turnover of $1 billion or less and 15% for ACNC-registered charities).
Specifically, to be eligible for the JKP Extension Period 1 (i.e., from 28 September 2020 to 3 January 2021), businesses only need to demonstrate a significant decline in turnover in the September 2020 quarter (whereas under the previously announced JobKeeper 2.0, they would have been required to show that they had suffered a significant decline in turnover in both the June and September 2020 quarters).
To be eligible for the JKP Extension Period 2 (i.e., from 4 January 2021 to 28 March 2021) businesses only need to demonstrate a significant decline in turnover in the December 2020 quarter (whereas under the previously announced JobKeeper 2.0, they would have been required to show that they had suffered a significant decline in turnover in each of the June, September and December 2020 quarters).
Businesses and not-for-profits will generally be able to assess eligibility based on details reported in the Business Activity Statement (BAS).
Adjustments to Employee Eligibility
From 3 August 2020, the relevant date of employment (which is used to determine an employee’s eligibility to JKPs) will move from 1 March 2020 to 1 July 2020. This is designed to increase employee eligibility for both the existing JKP scheme, as well as for the new extension periods from 28 September 2020.
Casual employees will still be required to have been employed on a regular and systematic basis for a minimum of 12 months (as is required under the existing JKP scheme).
Eligibility before 3 August 2020
Employees must satisfy the 1 March test and other eligibility criteria to be an eligible employee for JobKeeper fortnights ended before 3 August. You can access these rules at Employee test requirements.
Eligibility from 3 August 2020
You are an eligible employee for a JobKeeper fortnight starting from3 August 2020 if you are all of the following:
- employed by an eligible employer (including if you were stood down or re-hired) at any time in the JobKeeper fortnight
- not in receipt of any of these payments during the JobKeeper fortnight
- government parental leave or Dad and partner pay under the Paid Parental Leave Act 2010
- a payment in accordance with Australian worker compensation law for an individual's total incapacity for work.
- either an eligible employee for a JobKeeper fortnight ended before 3 August 2020 using the 1 March test or you met the 1 July test.
To meet the 1 July test you must satisfy all of the following on 1 July 2020:
- you were employed by the eligible employer (or another entity in their wholly owned group), either as a
- non-casual employee (whether full-time, part-time or fixed-term)
- long-term casual employee (employed on a regular and systematic basis during the 12 month period that ended 1 July) and you were not a permanent employee of any other employer
- you were aged 18 years or older (if you were 16 or 17 you can also qualify if you were independent or not undertaking full time study on 1 July 2020)
- you were either
- an Australian resident (within the meaning of the Social Security Act 1991) – see residence descriptionsExternal Link on the Services Australia website
- an Australian resident for the purpose of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 and the holder of a Subclass 444 (Special Category) visa
ATO guidance now notes that for the fortnights commencing on 3 and 17 August, the Tax Office will provide employers until 31 August to meet the wage condition for all new eligible employees under the 1 July eligibility test.
If you would like to discuss this please contact our office.