Who in your business is eligible for JobKeeper?

Did you know that if your business is enrolled for the JobKeeper Payment, you may be able to claim payments for an eligible business participant?

An eligible business participant is an individual who is not an employee of your business, but who is actively engaged in its operation.

For example, they might manage the sale of your business’s goods or exercise control over your business strategy.

To be eligible for JobKeeper payments, the business participant must be an individual who is:

• a sole trader (and is not bankrupt)
• a director of a company
• a shareholder in a company
• a partner of a partnership (but not through an interposed entity, for example an individual trustee of a trust that is a partner in a partnership)
• an adult beneficiary of a trust (who is not the trustee).

The individual must also meet other criteria, including having been actively engaged in the business at 1 March 2020.

You can only nominate one eligible business participant, even if several people meet the criteria.

Unlike employees, the key date for assessing business participants' eligibility is still 1 March 2020.

As of 20 July 2020, approved providers of child care services can't claim JobKeeper payments for business participants.

The individual must be engaged in the fortnight that the JobKeeper payment is claimed. For instance, if your eligible business participant is on leave, you cannot claim JobKeeper payments for JobKeeper fortnights that fall in that time period.

Flor-Hanly operates throughout Mackay, Clermont and Central Queensland. Our accounting team works with you to help you determine, focus on and achieve your farm or business goals. Call us on 07 4963 4800.

Source: Who in your business is eligible for JobKeeper? (2020). Retrieved from https://www.ato.gov.au/Newsroom/smallbusiness/General/Who-in-your-business-is-eligible-for-JobKeeper-/