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JobKeeper and Single Touch Payroll (STP)

The JobKeeper Payment is a scheme introduced as part of the COVID-19 stimulus package. It applies over parts of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 financial years.

For firms claiming the JobKeeper Payment, you can use the Single Touch Payroll integration plug-in to add the necessary information to your regular STP lodgements.

Enabling JobKeeper functionality

Once you are eligible and have registered for the JobKeeper Payment, you must enable the functionality via System settings, Plug-in settings, ATO integration. Once enabled, an additional window will appear each time you lodge a payroll event (where the transaction date falls within the JobKeeper scheme period).

JobKeeper payment details

For each payroll event you lodge, an additional window appears just prior to the signing window. This window lists employees and gross payments, and is used to capture the JobKeeper start/end dates and top-up amounts for each member.
 
Most employees are likely to be eligible for the entire JobKeeper scheme period, thus the start date is set to the start of the scheme by default.
 
For the first payroll event you lodge under the scheme:
  • Verify that each employee is eligible, and that the suggested start date is correct. Blank out the start date for any ineligible employees.
  • The top-up amount (for employees who are paid less than the JobKeeper fortnightly amount) is calculated automatically, but can be overridden if required.

For subsequent payroll events:

  • The start date you previously entered will be shown, but cannot be edited.
  • The top-up amount is calculated as before.

For any employees who cease to be eligible, you must enter an end date when lodging the next payroll event. As with the start date, this cannot be subsequently edited.

Recommendations for payroll in ContactsLaw

For employees who normally earn more than the JobKeeper amount (this would be the case for most full-time staff), no adjustments are needed and the Payroll activity would be completed as normal.

For employess who receive less than the JobKeeper amount, enter the difference between the Gross figure and the JobKeeper amount (i.e. the top-up amount) into the Adjust Before-Tax column.

The firm may account for reimbursements from the ATO in any manner they choose.