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Nicole Barnett • Apr 26, 2020

Reminder for Businesses: Canada Emergency Benefit Account 

If your business is experiencing cash flow issues as a result of Covid-19, we highly recommend that you talk to your financial institution about the Canada Emergency Benefit Account immediately. The program provides interest-free loans of up to $40,000 to small businesses and not-for-profit organizations to help cover costs while revenues are reduced.

To be eligible, the business must have paid between $50,000 and $1,000,000 for payroll in 2019

Key facts

  • The loan is interest-free for the first year
  • If repaid on or before December 31, 2022, 25% of the loan (up to $10,000) will be forgiven  
  • The forgiven portion of the loan will be taxable income in the year it is forgiven
  • Contact your financial institution directly for more information on how to apply

For Individuals: New GST Credit Info 

If you qualify for a GST tax credit that would normally arrive in May, the federal government has announced that the credit will be paid early. Direct deposit payments should go into your bank starting April 9th and cheques will follow.

The GST credit will be higher than usual as the government previously announced a one-time increase that effectively doubles the GST credit for the year. So, if you normally receive a quarterly GST credit of $50, which is $200 annually, you will receive an extra one-time payment of $200 plus the regular quarterly credit of $50.

For some families that may not have been entitled to the GST credit based on their 2018 personal tax returns, you may receive a one-time payment based on family net income.

If you haven't filed your 2018 tax return yet, you can still get it completed to receive the GST credit, if eligible.
By Nicole Barnett 26 Apr, 2020
The application portal for the CERB $2,000/month funding is available starting today through CRA My Account. Use the following schedule to apply: April 6th - Birth months of January, February and March April 7th - Birth months of April, May and June April 8th - Birth months of July, August and September April 9th - Birth months of October, November and December Open for anyone after those dates Where to apply: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html Two important points: CRA has clarified that business owners who are compensated through dividends rather than wages are eligible for the CERB if their 2019 income is $5,000 or more. CERB vs EI If you have applied for EI since March 15th, your application will automatically be transferred to the CERB process, so there is no need to apply for CERB . At the end of the 4 month CERB program, you could resume receiving EI if eligible and the CERB payments will not use up any of the EI-eligible weeks. For anyone who applied to EI prior to March 15th and received benefits, you will stay in the EI program and continue receiving the EI payments. A good summary here: https://globalnews.ca/news/6770564/coronavirus-ei-beneficiaries-federal-emergency-benefit/ More answers to common questions are available here: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application/questions.html
By Nicole Barnett 26 Apr, 2020
Details are here: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/campaigns/covid-19-update/frequently-asked-questions-wage-subsidy-small-businesses.html Highlights: A 10% wage subsidy is available for any wages paid between March 18th and June 20th, to a maximum of $1,375 per employee and $25,000 per employer To calculate: If you have 5 employees earning monthly salaries of $4,100 for a total monthly payroll of $20,500, the subsidy would be 10% of $20,500, or $2,050. To claim the subsidy: Reduce your payroll remittances by the amount of the calculated subsidy in the first remittance period that includes wages paid between March 18th and June 20th. So, for a regular remitter, the remittances due April 15 will be reduced by the amount of the subsidy. The subsidy does not need to be used to reduce remittances immediately. You can pay full remittances now and then request the calculated subsidy be paid out to you at the end of the year or applied to next year's remittances. To report the subsidy: CRA has not yet released info on how to report the subsidy calculation or amount. This is expected in the near future. The subsidy will be considered taxable income to your business in the year it is received. The team at Insight LLP is committed to helping our business clients access and understand the latest information on the ever-changing Covid-19 situation. Please contact us directly with any questions specific to your business needs at 403-524-4878 or via email.The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.
By Nicole Barnett 26 Apr, 2020
Private sector employers will have immediate financial relief by deferring WCB premiums until early 2021, effectively for one year. Employers who have already paid their WCB premium payment for 2020 are eligible for a rebate or credit. For small and medium businesses, the government will cover 50 per cent of the premium when it is due. Large employers will also receive a break by having their 2020 WCB premium payments deferred until 2021, at which time their premiums will be due. Info from: https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=699045A66118C-FA03-F4F5-959455E3316B8564
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