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Employers who have made mandatory CPF contributions for their local employees for the months of April to July 2021 by the stipulated deadlines will qualify to receive the payout.
More than 43,900 employers are set to benefit from Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) payouts totalling over S$900mn, starting 30 September 2021. This is part of efforts to support the wages of over 570,000 local employees under the scheme, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) and Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced on Tuesday (21 September).
This September payout will cover wages from April to July this year, including the enhanced JSS payout during the Phase Two and Phase Three (Heightened Alert) period. According to IRAS and MOF, the four-month payout coverage is "higher than the usual three-month coverage to provide cashflow support to firms affected by the protracted crisis."
With this payout, more than S$27.6bn of JSS support would have been disbursed since the introduction of the scheme at the Unity Budget in February 2020. Employers who have made mandatory CPF contributions for their local employees for the months of April to July 2021 by the stipulated deadlines will qualify to receive the payout.
Meanwhile, the payout for wages paid after 31 July 2021 will be disbursed in December 2021, and eligible employers will be notified by post of their payout amount later this month. Employers may also log in to myTax Portal to view the electronic copy of their letter. More information on the JSS support for sectors beyond 31 July 2021 can be found here.
Employers with PayNow Corporate or GIRO to receive earlier payouts
The IRAS and MOF have stated that employers who registered with PayNow Corporate as at 24 September 2021, or who have existing GIRO arrangements with IRAS, can expect to receive the JSS payouts from 30 September 2021, while the other employers will receive their cheques from 15 October 2021.
A total of S$23mn in payouts withheld from employers for review
As part of IRAS’ anti-gaming efforts to ensure that payouts are fairly and correctly disbursed, about S$23mn in payouts for September 2021 are withheld from 500 employers, pending their review and submission of supporting documents to IRAS to substantiate their eligibility. These 500 employers make up about 1.1% of all qualifying employers for the payouts, it was stated. They will receive their payouts once IRAS has verified the authenticity and accuracy of the information submitted, and payouts would be adjusted or denied if issues are found during the review.
Apart from the above, IRAS and MOF have stressed that it is "vital that employers contribute the right amount of CPF for their employees, based on actual wages paid."
"Employers’ CPF contributions are used to determine the amount of JSS payout. The penalties for any attempt to abuse the JSS are severe. Other than having their JSS payouts denied, offenders can be charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code, where they may face up to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine."
Businesses or individuals who wish to report any malpractices or potential abuses of the JSS may do so via email or online.
Photo / 123RF
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