How to Apply for the JobKeeper Program

Following the passing of the legislation for the Federal Governments JobKeeper assistance package, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has now released guidance on the application process for employers.

There are a number of steps that need to be taken that involve the assessing of eligibility, notifying employees, enrolling with the ATO and ensuring payroll is processed in accordance with eligibility requirements. We’ve provided a guide below as to the steps involved:

1. Check if you as the employer meet the eligibility requirements here

2. Check if your employees meet the eligibility requirements here

3. Notify eligible employees that you (their employer) intend to participate in the JobKeeper scheme

4. Confirm with eligible employees that they agree to you being the primary employer to receive JobKeeper Payments and send the nominated employees the JobKeeper Employee Nomination Notice to complete and return to you

5. Pay the minimum $1,500 to each eligible employee per JobKeeper fortnight. The first fortnight starts on 30 March and ends on 12 April. Alternatively, you can make one combined payment of $3,000 for the first two fortnights paid by the end of April 2020

6. Enrol for JobKeeper from 20 April using the Business Portal and authenticate with myGovID

7. Lodge employee payment details for eligible employees via Single Touch Payroll (STP) or through the Business Portal

8. Lodge monthly JobKeeper Declaration Report including reconfirmation of eligible employees, current and projected turnover

Should you require any assistance in applying for JobKeeper, including the assessment of eligibility at the employer or employee level, please contact our office. It is important to note that the above program is intended to support active businesses only and is subject to ATO integrity rules, including ensuring that both employers and employees do in fact meet the eligibility requirements. In the event that these tests are failed the ATO has powers to claw back any payments made and penalties and interest may apply.

We are here to help

Trying to think of everything you need to do keep your team and customers safe and healthy right now as well as run your business is tough.

We will continue to keep you informed of all government stimulus and other measures and how they apply to your business and are here at any time of the day to give you advice on your business continuity plans and cashflow.

Please call us on (08) 9316 7000 if there is anything we can do to help you.

If you need us outside of work hours, please call one of our Directors:

Andrew Sullivan on 0407 680 698
Chris Grieve on 0417 967 539
Ashley Dawson on 0438 014 318

We are here for you and together we will all get through this.
We will all come out the other side with more resilience, more compassion and more empathy.  Until we do, please look out for each other.

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Mandatory Code of Conduct for Commercial Rent Relief

The Government has released a mandatory Code of Conduct to impose a set of good faith leasing principles applying to commercial tenancies (including retail, office and industrial) between landlords and tenants, where the tenant is an eligible business for the purposes of the Federal Government’s Jobkeeper program, meaning they have experienced a revenue decrease of at least 30% and have a turnover of less than $50 million.

As part of the latest set of measures to allow the economy to bounce back after the crisis has ended, the provisions are designed to ensure tenants can emerge at the other side of the crisis still in their premises. The new proposals will include the following:

• landlords not being able to terminate leases or draw on their tenants’ security,
• tenants honouring their leases, and
• landlords reducing rent proportionate to the trading reduction of the tenant’s business.

This can take the form of rent waivers and rent deferrals, in proportion to the reduction in business revenue and up to 100% of the amount ordinarily payable. At a minimum, at least 50% of the rent reduction must be provided as rent free/rent waiver, and the portion that is a deferral of rent must be recovered over the balance of the lease term, but for no less than 24 months.

For example, if your turnover drops by 60%, your rent ordinarily payable would reduce by 60%. This would then be split with half of the rent reduction as rent free/rent waiver, and the remaining half rent reduction as rent deferral.

You can access the full National Cabinet Mandatory Code of Conduct here

Care should be taken to ensure that any repayment of the deferred rent does not compromise the ability of the affected SME tenant to recover from the crisis. If you are either a commercial landlord or tenant impacted by this, please contact one of our Team on (08) 9316 7000 to discuss your options.

We are here to help

Trying to think of everything you need to do keep your team and customers safe and healthy right now as well as run your business is tough.

We will continue to keep you informed of all government stimulus and other measures and how they apply to your business and are here at any time of the day to give you advice on your business continuity plans and cashflow.

Please call us on (08) 9316 7000 if there is anything we can do to help you.

If you need us outside of work hours, please call one of our Directors:

Andrew Sullivan on 0407 680 698
Chris Grieve on 0417 967 539
Ashley Dawson on 0438 014 318

We are here for you and together we will all get through this.

We will all come out the other side with more resilience, more compassion and more empathy.  Until we do, please look out for each other.

• Twitter
• Facebook