What is the COVID-19 Refund Scheme?
· It Allows the Employer to make the €203.00 (Tax, USC & PRSI free) Emergency COVID 19 Payment to employees to minimise the hardship for employees who are temporarily laid off as a result of the Impact Coronavirus on their business.
· On receiving the submission detailing COVID 19 Payments made to employees, Revenue will reimburse by making a payment into the Employer’s account (next day if submission made before 2.00pm)
· Applies to;
Employees for whom a payroll submission was made during the period 1 February 2020 to 15 March 2020
Employers that keep their staff on payroll and have not ceased them with Revenue
Employers that are unable to make top-up payments over and above the emergency payment of €203.00 per week
Key feature of the scheme;
· Employee must confirm to the Employer that they have not and will not claim this payment from DEASP whilst the Employer makes this payment through payroll
· Employer will make payroll submission on or before the date of payment
· The payroll is run as normal entering the following for the relevant employees
€0.01 to be entered as Pay
A Non-Taxable Amount of €203.00
No other payment
PRSI Class is J9
· Once pay is calculated, in some cases it may generate an income tax and/or USC refund – This will also be refunded to the Employer
· If an employee qualifies for dependent payments, Employer to advise employee to make Jobseeker’s benefit claim via My Welfare.ie online portal
· If the employee(s) resume employment with the employer, or obtains other supports from DEASP, or secures employment elsewhere, the employer will not include the employee(s) concerned in future submissions.
· Employees that have already been laid off & Employer ceased their employment can apply directly to DEASP
How to make an application for the Refund Scheme via ROS:
Log on to ROS and click on My Enquires
Enter Client Tax Reference
Client Tax Reference Type - Employer (PAYE / PRSI)
Enquiry relates to – Employer COVID 19 Refund
More Specifically – COVID 19 Declaration
Read the declaration and press ‘Submit’
To set up Bank Account details for Refund
Go to Manage Bank Account
Click to Refund on right hand side of page
Enter appropriate Bank Details