OTTAWA — An update has been launched for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) online calculator to coincide with recently implemented changes to the program.
The updated and improved calculator is intended to help employers prepare to apply for Period Five of the CEWS program, which opens for applications today.
Found on the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) CEWS web page, the calculator uses a step-by-step approach to encourage 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.
The CRA will conduct a series of information sessions in the coming weeks for eligible employers and stakeholder organizations.
Enhancements to the program, which are being introduced in Period Five, 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 three to five business days after applying if they are registered with direct deposit on their payroll account.
“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,” says The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue. “The enhanced CEWS program was re-designed 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.”
