Sick of confusing ATO forms? This one's partly responsible for a $60 billion error

More than 910,000 businesses have applied for the scheme, with 759,000 having already finalised their employee declarations, meaning they are eligible to receive payments.According to the Australian Tax Office , which is responsible for administering JobKeeper payments, the errors weren't picked up because its focus was on processing payments as quickly as possible.

The Australian Government's predicted number of people being supported by JobKeeper was overstated because of employers incorrectly filling out forms. This chart uses a logarithmic scale to highlight coronavirus growth rates. Read our explainer to understand what that means — and how COVID-19 cases are spreading around the world.

First estimates of the cost of the program were formulated at the height of the coronavirus crisis, with Treasury fearing the health impacts would be severe. But the $60 billion reduction in the projected cost of the scheme suggests that small portion was receiving nearly half the money allocated to the scheme.

Grug read the article, and not just the title, and at the end, a man from ATO said the so called 'error' made no effect to what money they paid to people. What is going on here? Maybe you should employ Grug, he is very honest & trusty!! Clearly youre not 😒

So many dumfux have no idea how to run a business. Govt budgeted (= estimated in ADVANCE based on avail data) 130b for JK for 6.5m workers, only 3.5m applied, govt doesn't spend the rest. 3 million people x $1500/fn x 13fn = 58.5 billion. It adds up.

Just put it on our 1 trillion dollar credit card - story’s over...

They changed their mind on the $130 billion (who cares about people suddenly unemployed & its a big scary number) so now they have to find someone to blame (cos libs good at blaming people)

How can it be the form when the $6b & 6m employees was announced before the form was being used?

This is Murdoch quality feelpinions

The ABC are gone, pity they used to be the voice of reason fairness. The sooner the Govt finishes them off the better

FFS. It was announced two weeks before anyone filled in a single form. Why are you perpetrating this egregious lie? Ita’s agenda laid bare.

What the hell has happened to ABC news?Is it now another advertising messenger for the LNP? What happened to journalistic integrity?Holding the government to account? Reporting the lies of the ministers? Investigating the corruption? What has it become? Has Ita destroyed it?

The form was not confusing at all. It was really clear. That doesn't mean people won't make dumb errors completing it. But I also wouldn't be taking the ATO and government word it. Independent investigation would be interesting.

What a complete load of bollocks. That form was simple and straightforward. The process easier than quarterly BAS. A question on a form doesnt go close to being an acceptable excuses. So sad, that the ABC has become yet another unquestioning mouthpiece for the LNP.

pedwards2014 No the Scott Morrison government is to blame they announced this package before the paperwork. Scott Morrison can’t manage the economy.

Not the forms I've heard, just a treasurer who can't count.

Seriously they must have got their 5 year old kids to fill in those forms

Crap. Again toeing the government line. The form clearly asked for numbers of employees. Are busy nesses that stupid? Don’t think so.

That form has nothing to do with the error. The number of 6.1 million was announced on the ABC by those two at the time your picture was taken long before the form was available to applicants. Please don’t lie...or at least, get better at it.

Forms are a cluster fck for a lot of people...only reason why is that they don't know how to fill them out...this is what happened in this case.

If almost 1m people claimed and only 1000 got it wrong, that's a 0.1% error rate. That is not the form, that is people not reading instructions. Form even said EMPLOYEES, not AMOUNT.

Do some math!

Bullshit.

gavmorris. ItaButtrose. JaneHolley48 ABCaustralia. LiberalAus. AustralianLabor smh theage SatPaper I am getting more&more angry at the total compliance of theAustn Media2theCoalitionGovt&the reluctance2hold them2 *any account whatsoever, no matter how BAD!*

HonTonyAbbott gutted the ATO of their best when he became PM.

Granville4879 Anything would confuse this pair of KNOBS.

ja_dut If we needed a parrot we would visit an aviary!

Nope. The forms had literally nothing to do with it. The $130B was announced well before the forms were even available. Stop swallowing this obvious piece of bait. auspol 60billion

So a mistake made by 1000 employers equals saving to taxpayers but you still spin the story.

No words 😶

Less debt to pay off for our children and grandchildren

Nothing wrong with the form just thick employers who can't read and answer a simple question

I’m calling bull dust. I smell pork barrels.

Balls-Up after Balls-Up after Balls-Up...

If employers are unable to read a form that asks how many employees? And they write 1500, whose fault is it? What is so confusing?

Just wondering... How's this monumental 🤬- up fit with the 'ScoMo has reinvented himself as a good PM' narrative ? The one the MSM have been running for the last week? No doubt abc730 and insiders will let rip given the error will probably cause a depression.

Try filling out Centrelink forms or getting a Robodebt notice. This lot have long defended the indefensible. Only this time, it's huge. But then, people have reportedly committed suicide over Robodebts, & that's dastardly. This 'lot' don't manage money, they siphon it off.

If that error is to be believed it still only accounts for half of the $60b. Do the math. Ask better questions. Get better answers. auspol

Sick of treasurers who cant do maths? Vote them out!!

The socialists are FURIOUS that the debt incurred by COVID-19 measures has been slashed. The government planned for the worst and hoped for the best - it's called risk management people.

better plus than minus. what is big deal?

Did a bit deeper before you megaphone government spin perhaps

Saved thousands of lives and saved bilions of dollars 🤷‍♂️

They rely far too much on artificial (non)intelligence; jobkeeper is just robodebt’s big brother...

This has to be the second biggest story of the year! Amazing...

$60billion overestimates the number of jobkeeper recipients, not underestimate

It wasn’t the form - just their way of grandstanding then taking it back. Cough, cough, cough - Joshie.

That’s the spin, wasn’t the estimate before the forms were filled in?

Not sure the form was 'confusing' 🤔

The irony of 1000 businesses not 800 not 1200 exactly 1000 just seems to be a bit suss

ScottMorrisonMP getting AngusTaylorMP to drop the $60 billion in a cayman island account for a little sports bribes at the next election

*This one party responsible for a $60 error.* Ah, better.

I am very happy with that error 👍 less money to pay back ,on the other hand if it was Albo and Labor they would be looking for another 60 billion

Penny wong?

What a load of bs, the numbers don't add up!

Govt forms are designed by bureaucrats for bureaucrats. It's par for the course & one of the many inefficiencies of govt. Another reason why we need smaller govt.

So they put JobKeeper in place without knowing how much it was going to cost? Incompetence.

ATO forms being completed incorrectly is nothing new. However, before providing the estimate to the Treasurer, the data should have been checked against their current employee numbers for both reasonableness and % of emps that are eligible. Data 101: integrity check.

Trump & ScoMo making the ABC cry again ,,,,, 👍👍.

What a load of bollocks.

Wasn’t the $130 Billion estimate was before anyone filled out a form?

The 2 fools!

The projection came before the forms...

He's joshin us

Employers did not provide the bloody Treasury estimates! Stop parroting the governments bullshit excuse .

Both having trouble keeping the Grins off their face........their done a fantastic job controlling the virus they certainly deserve good news like this.

It's not first or last time people got confused filling out forms dreamt up by Canberra bureaucrats. It was an emergency measure that had to be implemented quickly so we can give them a break. It's a good news in the end that we have 60 billion less on credit card. auspoI

Where is Scotty..? He seems to have gone missing this week

There was nothing wrong with the ATO forms. Even before the forms were available ScottyFomMarketing was touting the package covering approx 6m workers ate a cost of $130b. , do your job ffs

This is not the story: 'It's a huge difference from what was projected, but it comes down to about 1,000 businesses messing up their paperwork while applying for the scheme.' via jhayne93. ThisISNotJournalism The Government's projection was WRONG.

Luckily the is here to sweep the buffoonary of the Liberals and Nationals party under the rug. Good job stooges. Corruption LiberalStooges auspol

Can we see this ATO form ? responsible for 60 bln.... mistake? Isn't this just greed of free money confuse so many business owners in first place? auspol

Forecast cost and numbers involved predated the forms, and haven't been revised since. PMO been playing with spreadsheets again?

Bullshit story. FFS I'm tired of the ABC doing this governments spin & bullshit for them.

This is rubbish Jordan. It’s all to do with initial estimates in March that were $60b out. Try to report this issue correctly not just repeat the Government spin.

Time to resign Frydenberg. This government is so incompetent LNPfail

This is not journalism, it’s parroting government falsehoods. Be better, Aunty

'How do we cut this stupid work thingie without looking mean and tricky'? 'I know, lets say it is an over estimate'! 'Fricken brilliant, no wonder we are the master race'.

It's not the form. They finally received all registered businesses and the figure is lower than predicted. It's been stated from beginning of the cost, well before business made claims.

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