COVID-19 ATO Updates
Below is an outline of the measures on the update
Simplified Process – Work From Home Deductions
- The ATO has announced new working-from-home shortcuts, enabling business owners and employees working from home due to the coronavirus crisis a simplified process for claiming deductions.
- The new arrangement will allow people to claim a rate of 80 cents per hour for all their running expenses, rather than needing to calculate costs for each specific expense.
- The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) clarified that multiple people living in the same house can claim this new rate, while the requirement to have a dedicated work-from-home area has also been removed.
- The new method will apply to the period between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2020, with the ATO due to review the special arrangement for the next financial year as the COVID-19 situation progresses. The Tax Office stressed that claims for working-from-home expenses prior to 1 March 2020 cannot be calculated using the shortcut method, and must use the pre-existing working-from-home approach and requirements.
- Due to the pandemic, many taxpayers are working from home for the first time and this simplifies home office deductions. It will be necessary though to keep a record of the hours they have worked from home as evidence of their claim.
- According to the ATO, the simplified method will encompass all deductible running expenses, including electricity for heating, cooling and lighting; phone and internet expenses; and the decline in value of computers, printers, phones, furniture and furnishings.
- The methods available for claiming:
- claim a rate of 80 cents per work hour for all additional running expenses.
- claim a rate of 52 cents per work hour for heating, cooling, lighting, cleaning and the decline in value of office furniture, plus calculate the work-related portion of your phone and internet expenses, computer consumables, stationery and the decline in value of a computer, laptop or similar device.
- claim the actual work-related portion of all your running expenses, which you need to calculate on a reasonable basis.
JOBKEEPER ATO SCHEDULE
Jobkeeper Payment ATO Schedule
| PAYMENT DATE |
AMOUNT PER EMPLOYEE |
| MAY |
$3,000 – Fortnights starting 30 March and 13 April |
| JUNE |
$3,000 – Fortnights starting 27 April and 11 May |
| JULY |
$3,000 – Fortnights starting 25 May and 8 June |
| AUGUST |
$3,000 – Fortnights starting 22 June and 6 July |
| SEPTEMBER |
$4,500 – Fortnights starting 20 July, 3 August and 17 August |
| OCTOBER |
$3,000 – Fortnights starting 31 August and 14 September |
JOBKEEPER ATO – PAYROLL
Jobkeeper Payment Payroll Configuration
| FN (FORTNIGHT NUMBER) |
DATES |
ALLOWANCE – START JOBKEEPER |
ALLOWANCE – END JOBKEEPER |
| 01 |
30/03/2020 – 12/04/2020 |
JOBKEEPER-START-FN-01 |
JOBKEEPER-FINISH-FN-01 |
| 02 |
13/04/2020 – 26/04/2020 |
JOBKEEPER-START-FN-02 |
JOBKEEPER-FINISH-FN-02 |
| 03 |
27/04/2020 – 10/05/2020 |
JOBKEEPER-START-FN-03 |
JOBKEEPER-FINISH-FN-03 |
| 04 |
11/05/2020 – 24/05/2020 |
JOBKEEPER-START-FN-04 |
JOBKEEPER-FINISH-FN-04 |
| 05 |
25/05/2020 – 07/06/2020 |
JOBKEEPER-START-FN-05 |
JOBKEEPER-FINISH-FN-05 |
| 06 |
08/06/2020 – 21/06/2020 |
JOBKEEPER-START-FN-06 |
JOBKEEPER-FINISH-FN-06 |
| 07 |
22/06/2020 – 05/07/2020 |
JOBKEEPER-START-FN-07 |
JOBKEEPER-FINISH-FN-07 |
| 08 |
06/07/2020 – 19/07/2020 |
JOBKEEPER-START-FN-08 |
JOBKEEPER-FINISH-FN-08 |
| 09 |
20/07/2020 – 02/08/2020 |
JOBKEEPER-START-FN-09 |
JOBKEEPER-FINISH-FN-09 |
| 10 |
03/08/2020 – 16/08/2020 |
JOBKEEPER-START-FN-10 |
JOBKEEPER-FINISH-FN-10 |
| 11 |
17/08/2020 – 30/08/2020 |
JOBKEEPER-START-FN-11 |
JOBKEEPER-FINISH-FN-11 |
| 12 |
31/08/2020 – 13/09/2020 |
JOBKEEPER-START-FN-12 |
JOBKEEPER-FINISH-FN-12 |
| 13 |
14/09/2020 – 27/09/2020 |
JOBKEEPER-START-FN-13 |
JOBKEEPER-FINISH-FN-13 |