Last updated: 6 May 2020
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From 4 May, you can log back into your ATO tax portal, through your myGov account, to complete the remaining JobKeeper steps as a sole trader.
Recap - how to enrol
As a recap, in order to action the next steps you will need to make sure you have completed the following:
- Determined that you are eligible for the JobKeeper initiative as per the criteria outlined here.
- Enrolled for the JobKeeper initiative through the myGov ATO tax portal. This is step one, which you should have completed a couple of weeks ago. If you haven’t yet done this, please check out the instructions here.
You've enrolled for JobKeeper - what's next?
Log back into your myGov account
Start by logging back into your myGov account and navigating to the ATO Business Portal. If you have not yet set up ATO online services to link your business, you can do so here.
Open your JobKeeper application
You should then see a banner similar to the one displayed below. Click on the link to ‘view’ the JobKeeper application process.
Navigate to Step 2 | Identify and maintain employees eligible for JobKeeper wage subsidies.
You will then arrive at a page similar to what is shown in the below screenshot. For today, simply click on ‘identify’ to access.
Complete eligibility and declare yourself as the 'eligible business participant'
Although this section seems like it’s only relevant for businesses who employ staff, this is still necessary for sole traders without employees. This section is where you will declare yourself as an eligible business participant.
You will then be taken to a screen with a lot of information about the eligibility for this program.
So long as you satisfy the conditions outlined here you will be able to click “next” at the bottom of this page to proceed with your application.
1. Choose the month that you are applying for the program. If you experienced at least a 30% turnover decline in either March or April, you will select “April” from this dropdown (this is the month that the initiative starts from). If you didn’t experience at least a 30% decline in March or April, but anticipate a decline in May, then you should select “May” from this dropdown.
2. For the “JobKeeper status” dropdown, you will need to select the fortnights within the relevant month that you were eligible for initiative. If you qualified from March or the start of April, then you should select both F1 and F2 for this dropdown. If you only qualified from the second half of April, then you should only select F2, etc.
3. For the question “Do you want to add eligible employees?” select “no” on the basis that you are a sole trader without employees*. Then, click “next”.
4. If you are applying for the JobKeeper initiative from April, you will then be taken to a screen to declare your GST turnover for April 2020 and your projected GST turnover for May 2020. This is essentially step three of JobKeeper, which is making a monthly declaration. This is not a retest of your eligibility for JobKeeper, rather an indication of how your business is progressing through the program.
Please refer to the information contained here for information about the business monthly declaration. Once these fields have been completed, you can finalise your application.
Need more information?
We’re endeavouring to communicate more about this initiative as it is made available by the government. In the meantime, you can find further information via:
- The ATO’s JobKeeper portal - including new sole trader information
- By booking a free 10 minute tax chat with a PwC tax specialist
*If you have employees, refer to the ATO's JobKeeper website.
This document merely provides a broad outline of the subject and is necessarily general in nature. If you require specific advice, which is tailored to your specific circumstances, please do not hesitate to contact us (fees would apply).