JobMaker Hiring Credit - What is it?

The Australian Government has introduced the JobMaker Hiring Credit. The payment provides an incentive for employers to hire young job seekers, by delivering a payment to employers to help support the new employee’s wage costs.

Eligible employers can receive the payment for up to 12 months (between 7 October 2020 to 6 October 2021) for new jobs that employ an eligible young person.

How much is it worth?

Employers will be credited $200 a week for additional employees aged 16 to 29 years and $100 a week for new employees aged 30 to 35 years who meet the eligibility criteria.

What are the eligibility rules?

The new employee must:

• be aged between 16 to 35 years at the start of their employment
• have received the JobSeeker Payment, Youth Allowance or Parenting Payment for at least one of the previous three months, prior to being employed in their new position
• have worked at least 20 paid hours per week on average for the full weeks they were employed during the reporting period
• complete a nomination form for JobMaker Hiring Credit supplied by their employer.

The employee must not:

• be an employee for whom the employer is receiving another Commonwealth wage subsidy such as an apprenticeship or traineeship wage subsidy
• be an employee for whom another employer is claiming JobMaker Hiring Credit

The employer must:

• have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• be registered for pay as you go (PAYG) withholding
• report through Single Touch Payroll (STP)
• be up to date with their tax lodgement obligations
• meet the following additionally criteria each month before claiming a credit:
• claim the credit in respect of an eligible employee
• have kept adequate records of paid hours worked by the eligible employee
• have a minimum of one existing employee.

Additionally, the employer must not be:

• a Commonwealth, State or Local Government agency
• a sovereign entity
• an entity in liquidation or having entered bankruptcy
• currently claiming the JobKeeper Payment
• subject to the major bank levy.

What are the key dates?

• 30 September 2020 - the reference date for comparison of increased employee headcount and payroll (as compared to the previous three months)
• 7 October 2020 - the date from which credit claims are valid (employees must commence employment after this date)
• 7 December 2020 - registrations open for eligible employers via ATO online services
• 6 January 2021 - end of the first reporting period
• 1 February 2021 - the date from which the first credit can be claimed quarterly in arrears from the ATO, for new jobs created between 7 October 2020 and 6 January 2021)
• 6 October 2021 - the end of the eligibility period for credit claims (employees must commence before this date)

Can new employing businesses claim credits?

If a business is newly established or has no employees as at 30 September 2020, they can only claim the credit for the second and subsequent new eligible employee.

How is the claim made?

The credit will be claimed quarterly in arrears by the employer from the Australian Tax Office, from 1 February 2021.

Other information

• The employer’s additionality criteria (the employee headcount and the payroll) must remain higher than they were as at 30 September 2020 for them to remain eligible for the credit each month.
• The credit payments can only be received for 12 months for each additional position created.
• The amount of hiring credit can’t exceed the amount of increase in payroll for the reporting period.

For any queries please call our office on 07 4151 8898.