JobKeeper has supported employees across Australia through the tumultuous COVID-19 restrictions the country has faced. While the program is set to conclude in a few months, 4 January 2021 brings the latest round of changes to JobKeeper requirements and rates.
From that date, JobKeeper recipients will see a further reduction in allowance rates, with
Tier 1 and Tier 2 recipients entitled to $1,000 per fortnight and $650 per fortnight, respectively.
As with the first phase of JobKeeper 2.0, being eligible for the previous period does not automatically qualify you for the next.
Businesses must demonstrate an actual, sufficient decline in GST turnover in the October-December 2020 quarter compared to the previous year.
If your business is discontinuing JobKeeper from 4 January 2021, you do not need to take any special action. You should complete your Business Monthly Declaration before 14 January 2021 as normal, but it is not necessary to process any JOBKEEPER-FINISH-FN allowances for your employees, nor any further declarations.
Our most recent JobKeeper webinar covered the process of continuing and exiting JobKeeper during the previous extension, and the same should apply from 4 January 2021.
However, as this change comes over a period when you may have payroll staff on leave or reduced hours, it is important that you ensure the correct rates and payment dates are being fulfilled.
As always, if you have any queries about managing, entering or exiting JobKeeper we recommend reading our comprehensive FAQs. You can also perform a search in your browser for terms related to your question to find answers faster.
Our JobKeeper scenarios page covers common situations you may face as well as guidance in rectifying errors.