August 11, 2020 Ottawa Canada Revenue Agency
The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) helps employers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to keep workers on their payroll or bring back previously laid-off employees. To ensure that Canadian workers and businesses are in a better position as our economy safely re-opens, the Government has recently implemented changes to the CEWS that broaden the reach of the program and provide better targeted support.
Today, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, launched an updated and improved Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy online calculator. It will help small and large employers alike prepare to apply for the next period of the CEWS program, which will open for applications on August 17, 2020.
The CEWS calculator can be found on the CRA’s Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy web page, which includes detailed information to help employers understand how the CEWS can support their employees and operations, who is eligible to apply, and how claim periods are structured. The calculator uses a step-by-step approach to get employers to enter information about their business situation to provide an estimate of the subsidy they can expect to receive.
The calculator also includes printable spreadsheet and statement features that employers can use to view their claim at a glance and enter required information into the CEWS application form quickly and easily.
By providing employers with detailed information about their subsidy claim, the CEWS calculator can assist them in making informed decisions about retaining or re-hiring workers. The CRA will conduct a series of information sessions in the coming weeks for eligible employers and stakeholder organizations.
The CRA will open applications for CEWS Period 5 on August 17, 2020. Enhancements to the program, which are being introduced in Period 5, will include expanding eligibility criteria, introducing a sliding revenue-decline test to determine the subsidy amount, and providing a top-up subsidy for the most impacted employers. Employers can expect to receive their payment within 3-5 business days after applying if they are registered with direct deposit on their payroll account.
The CEWS exists to help workers transition back to their jobs and to support employers as they increase their revenues. The CRA is committed to providing employers – including newly eligible employers as a result of the enhanced CEWS – with the information and resources they need to apply and benefit from this important economic measure.
Quotes
“The CRA has been working around the clock to deliver the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 response plan and the results have been outstanding. The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy has enabled employers across the country to keep or re-hire millions of Canadians. The enhanced CEWS program launched today was redesigned to be more flexible and support a wider range of employers. I encourage all business owners to use the calculator to determine how this program can benefit them.”
- The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue
Quick facts
-
To date the CEWS has provided $26.58B in subsidies to more than 275,000 employers. The CRA publishes detailed data about CEWS claims on our website on a regular basis.
-
The CRA’s dedicated CEWS number 1-833-966-2099 offers access to agents who can provide information about eligibility requirements, calculating the CEWS, or how to apply. The line operates from Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. local time.
-
Employers can make changes or adjustments to their applications, even after they’ve been submitted. More information is available on the CEWS web page.