Canada emergency wage subsidy available open for applications April 27

The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) provides eligible businesses with a 75 per cent wage subsidy (to a maximum of $847 per week) for up to 12 weeks. The subsidy encourages employers to re-hire workers previously laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applications open on April 27. The program is retroactive to March 15 and will be in place until June 6, 2020. Recent CEWS legislation that was passed enables the federal government to extend the program until September 30, 2020 and change the Required Revenue Reduction criteria and subsidy amount.

Eligible employers include individuals, taxable corporations, employer partnerships, non-profit organizations and registered charities experiencing a decrease of at least 15 per cent of revenue in March and 30 per cent in the following months. A calculator is on the CRA website to allow businesses to determine exactly what the wage subsidy will cover and how much you can claim.