Applications will be opening this coming Monday 20th April, and below is a list of the steps you should be taking now to ensure you are ready:

• Step 1 – Register your interest and subscribe for JobKeeper payment (https://www.ato.gov.au/Job-keeper-payment/) updates.
• Step 2 – Check you and your employees meet the eligibility requirements.
• Step 3 – Continue to pay at least $1,500 to each eligible employee per JobKeeper fortnight (the first JobKeeper fortnight is the period from 30 March to 12 April).
• Step 4 – Notify your eligible employees that you are intending to claim the JobKeeper payment on their behalf and check they aren’t claiming JobKeeper payment through another employer or have nominated through another business.
• Step 5 – Send the JobKeeper employee nomination notice (https://www.ato.gov.au/Forms/JobKeeper-payment—employee-nomination-notice/) to your nominated employees to complete and return to you by the end of April if you plan to claim JobKeeper payment for April. Keep it on file and provide a copy to your registered tax agent if you are using one.
• Step 6 – From 20 April 2020, you can enrol with us for the JobKeeper payment using the Business Portal and authenticate with myGovID. You must do this by the end of April to claim JobKeeper payments for April.
• Step 7 – In the online form, provide your bank details and indicate if you are claiming an entitlement based on business participation, for example if you are a sole trader.
• Step 8 – Specify the estimated number of employees who will be eligible for the first JobKeeper fortnight (30 March – 12 April) and the second JobKeeper fortnight (13 April – 26 April).

You need to ensure your business portal is setup so you can enrol. We recommend setting this up as soon as possible so come Monday you are ready to go.

Once enrolments open on Monday, here are the steps that need to be taken to enrol:

• Step 1 – Apply to claim the JobKeeper payment by logging in to the ATO Business Portal (https://bp.ato.gov.au/) – Simply follow the steps on the link to setup your MyGov ID if you haven’t already.
• Step 2 – Ensure you have paid each eligible employee a minimum of $1,500 per JobKeeper fortnight before tax.
• Step 3 – Identify your eligible employees in the application form by
  • selecting employee details that are prefilled from your STP pay reports if you report payroll information through an STP enabled payroll solution, or
  • manually entering employee details in ATO online services or the Business Portal if you do not use an STP enabled payroll solution, or
  • using a registered tax agent who will submit a report on your behalf through Online services for agents.
• Step 4 – Submit the confirmation of your eligible employees online and wait for the confirmation screen.
• Step 5 – Notify your eligible employees you have nominated them.
• Step 6 – We will pay you the JobKeeper payment for all eligible employees after receiving your application.
• Step 7 – Each month, you will need to reconfirm that your reported eligible employees have not changed through ATO online services, the Business Portal or via your registered tax agent. This will ensure you will continue to receive the JobKeeper payments from us. You do not need to retest your reported fall in turnover, but you will need to provide some information as to your current and projected turnover. This will be done in your monthly JobKeeper Declaration report.
• Step 8 – If your eligible employees change or leave your employment, you will need to notify us through your monthly JobKeeper Declaration report.

If you follow these steps you should be ready to go with JobKeeper come Monday.

If you need any additional assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We can assist with all Government Stimulus matters.