The team at By The Numbers thought it may be helpful to share with you all some frequently asked questions around the new JobKeeper payments!
Can two different businesses claim JobKeeper payments for the same individual?
No. Only one claim per individual for JobKeeper payments can be made. An entity cannot claim JobKeeper payments for an individual if there is already a JobKeeper claim being made by another business or employer for that individual.
Can a sole trader with more than one business receive multiple JobKeeper payments?
No. You can only receive the JobKeeper payment once.
Can more than one eligible business participant be nominated by an entity?
No. Only one eligible business participant can be nominated. This means that a business entity must choose which eligible business participant to nominate, and the entity is only entitled to one JobKeeper payment per fortnight. That is, only one partner, one beneficiary of a trust, and one director of a company (assuming they are not also an employee of that company) can receive the JobKeeper payment.
Can a sole trader receive JobKeeper payments when they are also an employee of another business?
No. An eligible business participant cannot be an employee (other than a casual employee) of another entity. If the sole trader is both a long term casual employee of another business and also an eligible sole trader, they can choose to either let their employer claim the JobKeeper payments on their behalf, or they can claim as a sole trader, but not both.
When will the JobKeeper Payment Commence?
The Job Keeper Payment will be available from 30 March 2020, paid in arrears from the first week in May. The ATO are advising payments will start flowing from the 5th -8th of May.
How long will the JobKeeper payment last for?
The Job Keeper payment will be available for the period until 27 September 2020.
My turnover has not decreased by 30 per cent this month, but I believe it will in the coming month. Am I eligible?
You can apply for the payment if you reasonably expect that your turnover will fall by 30 per cent or more (or 50 per cent or more for businesses with a turnover of $1 billion or more) relative to your turnover in a corresponding period a year earlier. The ATO will provide guidance about self-assessment of actual and anticipated falls in turnover.
