Many small businesses have closely held employees such as family members, directors or shareholders of a company, and beneficiaries of a trust. Small businesses with 19 or fewer employees were to start reporting these closely held employees through single touch payroll (STP) from 1 July 2020. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic however, the ATO has granted an extension until 1 July 2021.
Your business can start voluntarily reporting these closely held employees, and many may have already done so to access JobKeeper payments, but it is not a requirement until 1 July 2021.
All other employees should be reported through STP.
