The ATO has published on its website a useful guide explaining what happens if you have incorrectly self-assessed yourself (or your employees) as eligible for a JobKeeper payment.
If the ATO considers it was an honest mistake, you may not have to repay the payment if:
- you relied in good faith on a statement made by an employee in their nomination notice;
- you fully passed on the benefit of the JobKeeper payment to the relevant employee;
- the mistake was made in the early days of JobKeeper when less public guidance was available.
If the ATO considers the mistake was not an honest one – which could include where the ATO has contacted you about a claim potentially being ineligible and you have not taken reasonable steps to check the eligibility before making future claims – the ATO will contact you and advise:
- why they think there has been an overpayment;
- how much you need to repay; and
- how to make the repayment.
There is a third scenario – the ATO decides that another entity that directly or indirectly benefited from the overpayment is also liable to repay the overpayment. The ATO can pursue you or the other entity for repayment (including for the whole amount).
Visit this links for full details on the ATO website – ato.gov.au
Tip! If you think you have received a JobKeeper payment by mistake, talk to your tax adviser or the ATO as soon as you discover the error.
