COVID-19 JobKeeper: Declarations must be lodged by 14th June
The Federal Government's JobKeeper program is now in full swing, and eligible businesses must submit a declaration after the end of each month before they can receive their JobKeeper payments.
This declaration must contain:
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Confirmation of the number of eligible employees and/or 'business participants' ;
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The value of GST turnover for the reporting month; and
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The value of projected GST turnover for the following month
With that in mind, we remind you that JobKeeper declarations for May must be made on or before 14th June 2020.
There has been some latitude granted during the initial startup phase of the JobKeeper program, with deadlines for applying and reporting in April being pushed out to May. This grace period is now over though and future deadlines will be be fixed. Monthly declarations must be made between 1st and 14th of the month following the relevant JobKeeper month.
Not much is being said about what might happen where a business has paid out JobKeeper amounts during the month, but misses that cut-off date for making a monthly declaration. It hardly seems equitable that a business would be denied reimbursement for amounts already paid to employees simply because it misses a reporting deadline, especially if the amounts were over and above normal wages for hours worked (i.e. JobKeeper 'top-up' payments). Further, we're not even sure what these declarations achieve other than the additional burden of needless compliance. The Federal Government has been clear so far that once a business is eligible, it remains so for the duration of the JobKeeper program, and the monthly reporting data is essentially for statistical purposes only. Nevertheless, as the rules currently stand, the language being used is 'must', so it's probably better not to test that by making a late submission of a relatively simple declaration.
If you need any help with your numbers or have any other questions about making your declaration, please contact us for further information or assistance.
We're continuing to offer complimentary phone calls to support you and your business with these measures during this time.
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