Update: The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy has been extended until June 2021.

For 3 months, qualifying businesses can request a subsidy of 75% of employee wages for up to 12 weeks. This is retroactive as of March 15, 2020 to June 06, 2020. Businesses will have to show that there has been a decline of 15% in revenue and they can also compare March 2020 revenue to January 2020 and February 2020. Applications opened on Monday April 27, 2020 and the maximum benefit is $847 per employee each week. For more information, click here

The government of Canada has approved a one-time payment of $600 to the following eligible people:

• Those who have the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) Certificate
• Those who have been on the following disability programs since July 01, 2020:
  • Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPPD)
  • Quebec Pension Plan Disability
  • One of the following Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) disability programs:
    • Disability Pension
    • Disability Award
    • Pain and Suffering Compensation
    • Critical Injury Benefit
    • Rehabilitation Services and Vocational Assistance Program
    • Income Replacement Benefit, and/or
    • Canadian Forces Income Support

This payment is automatic and non-taxable. It will be delivered in the form of a cheque or direct deposit on Friday November 06, 2020. Those who are eligible for the DTC but have not yet applied, MUST do so by December 31, 2020.

For more information, click here.

The federal government has proposed 3 new income support benefits to support people now that CERB has ended. These programs will be available until September 25, 2021 and they are:

• The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) will provide $500/week to workers who are sick, must self-isolate for reasons related to COVID-19 or have a health condition that puts them at greater risk of getting COVID-19. Eligible individuals can apply for a total of 26 weeks for the CRCB program.
• The Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) will provide $500/week to those who are employed or self-employed because they must stay at home to care for:
  • A family member and unable to work at least 50% of your scheduled work week
  • A child under the age of 12 or a family member who needs supervised care
• The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) will provide $1000 bi-weekly to those who are self-employed or those who are not eligible for EI, but still require income support, and are available and looking for work. Eligible individuals can apply for a total of 26 weeks for the CRCB program. Please note that this application will be available on October 12, 2020.

All eligible individuals can apply for these benefits through the Canada Revenue Agency.

For more information, click here.

Changes to the EI Program:

• Effective August 09, 2020, the minimum unemployment rate has been established at 13.1% across Canada.
• Effective September 27, 2020, those receiving EI will be eligible for benefits of $400/week or $240/week for extended parental benefits. The regular EI benefits will be available for a minimum of 26 weeks.
• EI insurance premium rates will remain the same for 2 years.
• To qualify for EI:
  • Those applying for regular and/or work-sharing benefits who have at least 120 insurable hours, will be automatically given a one-time credit of 300 insurable hours instead.
  • Those applying for special benefits such as maternity, parental, sickness, compassionate care or family caregiver benefits, will be automatically given a one-time credit of 480 insurable hours instead.

General information about EI:
If you’ve lost your job, have had your work hours reduced, or are in quarantine because of COVID-19, you may be eligible for Employment Insurance (Sickness/Regular EI). The requirement to provide a medical certificate to access EI sickness benefits has been waived. Click here for an EI Fact Sheet on how to apply or call 1-833-381-2725 for more information.

Note: If you need a call back from Service Canada, you may request a call back by filling out their Service Request form.

Update: CERB has now been extended for 4 weeks and the last period will end on September 26, 2020. After CERB ends, those who were receiving this benefit will transition to Employment Insurance (EI). For more information, click here.

Note: The Canadian government released a notice to inform of a CERB text message scam asking those who received the benefit to return it. For more information about the scam, click here.

Applicants may apply for the CERB benefit through their My CRA account or by calling 1-800-959-2019. This taxable benefit may provide $2,000 a month for up to 24 weeks (end of August) for those affected by COVID-19 such as workers who:

• Reside in Canada and are at least 15 years old
• Have stopped or will stop working due to COVID-19
• Will not receive EI, self-employment income, provincial or federal parental benefits for at least 14 days in a row
• Have not quit their jobs voluntarily
• Earned a minimum of $5,000 income in the last 12 months or in 2019 from one or more of the following:
  • Employment Insurance (EI)
  • Self-employment income
  • Provincial or federal maternity or paternity benefits
• Earned less than $1,000 for at least 14 consecutive days while collecting the benefit

You may need to return or repay the CERB if you:

• Return to work earlier than expected,
• Applied for CERB but later realized that you are not eligible, or
• Applied and received the CERB from CRA and Service Canada for the same eligibility period.
• For information on how to return the CERB, click here.

Effiective August 12, 2020, face masks will be mandatory at all Walmart across Canada.

For more information, click here.

A new mobile app, COVID Alert, is now available to Canadians to help them notify users if they have been exposed to COVID-19. Using the app is voluntary but encouraged to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

For more information, click here.

The new deadline to pay tax payments is now September 30th, 2020. Interest will accrue if the payments are not made by then.
For more information, click here.

Since many Canadians are working from home due to COVID, they may be eligible for a tax deduction if they work from home for 50% or more. For more information, click here.

The annual Canada Child Benefit has been increased for the year 2020-2021 to help families with the costs of living and raising their children. Families may receive:

• Up to $6,765 per child under age 6; and
• Up to $5,708 per child age 6 through 17.

For more information, click here.

Service Canada Centres are now open for in-person services while following health and safety protocols. To serve you better, they are recommending people to book appointments through by completing their Service Request Form. Since this is a gradual opening, it is recommended to check online first which locations are open. For more information, click here.

Update: The Canada Student Service Grant is now open to applicants. To apply for a volunteering position and the grant, click here.

Through the Canada Emergency Student Benefit, students will be able to apply for financial support of $1,250 a month from May to August. For students who are taking care of someone else or have a disability, they may be eligible for $1,750 per month. This benefit will start on May 1, 2020 through the Canada Revenue Agency and will be available to post-secondary students who are planning to go to school in September or those who graduated in December 2019. Additionally, students who volunteer this summer will be eligible for $1,000 to $5,000 through the Canada Student Service Grant. The application will be available on May 15, 2020 through Canada Revenue Agency’s My Account. For more information, click here.

Update: Starting June 22, 2020, some camping services will be open.

National parks will resume operations starting June 1st, 2020. Some trails, day use areas, green spaces and recreational boating will be open at national parks, historic sites, waterways and national marine conservation areas.

For more information, click here.

Justin Trudeau announced that seniors who are eligible for Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), will receive a one-time tax free payment in the week of July 06, 2020 – July 12, 2020. A senior receiving OAS will receive $300 and if they are receiving GIS as well, they will get an extra $200.

For more information, click here.

The government will be accelerating the federal Gas Tax Fund. This means that the $2.2 billion federal infrastructure funding will be delivered in one payment in June instead of the regular two installments per year. This funding will help communities with their infrastructure projects.

For more information, click here.

Update: On May 29, 2020, the federal government announced that an additional funding of $650 million will be available to the indigenous communities to support their immediate public health response and specific needs.

On March 18th, 2020, it was announced that $305 million was going to be available to create a distinctions-based Indigenous Community Support Fund to address immediate needs in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation communities. Another $75 million funding is now available for Indigenous organizations to provide services to Indigenous peoples in urban centres and off-reserve.

For more information, click here.

Update: There are now 45,000 summer jobs available for the Canadian youth through the Canada Summer Jobs Program.

The federal government will cover 100% of wages for students who were hired under the Canada Summer Jobs Program. Additionally, the time period for job placements will be extended to the winter to allow companies to hire the students and the employment end date has been extended to February 28, 2021. For more information, click here.

Uber is launching the Uber Connect this weekend which is a same-day delivery service across Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. The new feature will allow people to send packages, items and goods to their loved ones through a contactless delivery.

For more information, click here.

Emergency orders were issued by the federal government that temporarily suspends in-person execution of wills and personal planning instruments. These orders are in effect as of May 19, 2020 and allows for a remote executions of the legal documents.

For more information, click here.

Justin Trudeau has announced funding of $469.4 million to support Canada’s fish harvesters during the pandemic. This funding will be distributed by:

• Launching the Fish Harvester Benefit, a program to help provide income for the self-employed harvesters who cannot access the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.
• Launching the Fish Harvester Grant to provide grants to help harvesters who are ineligible for the Canada Emergency Business Account.
• Proposing measures or changes to Employment Insurance (EI) allowing the harvesters and sharespersons to access EI benefits.

For more information, click here.

Since most organizations offering the free income tax clinics are closed or have reduced service, they will be hosting free virtual tax clinics in the coming weeks through CRA’s Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP).

For more information, click here.

Justin Trudeau has announced that the federal government will provide the following benefits to support seniors during the pandemic:

• A one-time tax-free payment of $300 for seniors eligible for Old Age Security (OAS),
• An additional $200 for seniors eligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)
• The New Horizons Seniors program will receive $20 million to support organizations that offer community-based programs for seniors
• Extending the GIS and Allowance payments if seniors’ 2019 income tax has not been filed or assessed. However seniors are still encouraged to file their 2019 income tax as soon as possible and by October 01, 2020.

For more information, click here.

Justin Trudeau has announced that the federal government will provide $3 billion to increase the wages of low-income essential workers during this pandemic. It has not been determined yet how provinces and territories will administer the funds, who is eligible for the top-up and how much a worker is eligible for. For more information, click here.

Families will be automatically given an extra $300 per child through the Canada Child Benefit that they will see in the May payment (approximately $550 more for the average family).

For more information, click here.

Children and Youth of Canadian Armed Forces are now able to access a 24/7 crisis texting service to ensure they have access to free, confidential, mental health and well-being support. This service can be accessed by texting the work CAFKIDS at 686868 for support in English and JEUNESFAC at 686868 for support in French.

For more information, click here.

Taxes can be deferred until June 1, 2020. If you make your deferred payments September 01, 2020, you will not be charged any penalty nor interest. For more information, click here.

Through the Mobility for Good program, Telus is donating over 10,000 free smartphones along with free plans to organizations across Canada. The smartphones are meant to be distributed to COVID-19 patients to allow them to connect with their loved ones while they are in the hospital. Additionally, they can be distributed to seniors, low-income individuals, those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to help them connect with their families, healthcare practitioners and social support services. For more information, click here.

International students who are working in an essential service or function such as health care, critical infrastructure, or the supply of food or other critical goods, are now able to work more than 20 hours a week until August 31, 2020. For more information, click here.

Effective noon, April 20, 2020, all passengers flying to Canada are required to cover their nose and mouth with a non-medical mask or covering on all flights. Those who are unable to do so will not be allowed to board the planes. For more information, click here.

Healthcare workers now have priority entrance to Loblaws’ stores and drugstores by showing their healthcare ID. Costco is also offering priority entrance to healthcare workers and first responders.

Canadians who are financially unable to return home on their own means, may apply for the COVID-19 Emergency Loan Program for Canadians Abroad. This program is a repayable loan to facilitate their return and cover basic needs while still abroad. To apply, contact:

• The nearest Government of Canada office,
• Call +1-613-996-8885
• Email CAN.finances.CV19@international.gc.ca

For more information, click here.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) have reduced service hours at certain low traffic ports of entry to reduce the spread of COVID-19. For more information, click here.

The federal government has launched a new portal for Canadians. The portal offers resources, tools, apps and connections to mental health professionals. For more information, click here.

Justin Trudeau has announced that the federal government will be providing additional support to northern communities to ensure their immediate needs for health, economic and transportation are met during the pandemic. The support are as follows:

• $72.6 million to support health and social services.
• $17.3 million to support air carriers that transport food, medical supplies and other essential goods.
• $15 million to support businesses.
• $25 million to support families by increasing subsidies.

For more information, click here.

In his announcement on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, Justin Trudeau mentioned that the federal government is updating the Quarantine Act to ask anyone returning to Canada who is asymptomatic to present a quarantine plan. Travellers who do not have a quarantine plan will be asked to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days. This is the same practice that the province of British Columbia has implemented on April 08, 2020. For more information, click here.

For Canadian or Permanent Residents returning to Canada and showing symptoms, they must enter Canada by land, rail or sea, and NOT by air. They MUST also isolate for 14 days as this is mandatory for them. For travellers without symptoms, they must quarantine (self-isolate) for 14 days. Anyone found not complying will be fined under the Quarantine Act. For more information, click here.

The Canadian public health guidance has announced that wearing non-medical masks, such as homemade cloth masks, may provide protection to those around you and not necessarily yourself. In addition to the masks, you should also do the following to minimize the spread of COVID-19:

• Staying home as much as possible
• Physical distancing
• Washing your hands
• Protecting the most vulnerable
• Covering your cough with tissues or your sleeve

For more information, click here.

Providing a one-time special payment issued on April 09, 2020 through the Goods and Services Tax credit for low to modest income families. This amount will be calculated based on your 2018 income tax return and will range from:

• $443 to $886 if you’re single
• $580 to $1,160 if you’re married or common-law
• $153 to $306 if you’re under 19 years old (excludes a single parent’s first eligible child)
• $290 to $580 to a single parent’s first eligible child

For more information, click here.

A one-time enhancement to the climate action tax credit will be paid in July 2020 for low to moderate income families:

• An adult will receive up to $218.00 (increased from $43.50)
• A child will receive $64.00 (increased from $12.75).

For those who are in need, they should contact their financial institution to see if they are eligible for a mortgage deferral. For more information, click here.

Providing $157.5 million to the Reaching Home initiative. For needs such as beds, physical barriers, and securing accommodation to reduce overcrowding in shelters.

Providing up to $50 million to women’s shelters and sexual assault centres to help with their capacity to manage or prevent an outbreak in their facilities.

Reducing the required minimum withdrawals from Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs) by 25% for 2020.

On March 30, 2020, there will be a six-month interest-free moratorium on the repayment of Canada Student Loans for all student loan borrowers. No payment will be required, and interest will not accrue during this time. Students do not need to apply for the repayment pause. For more information, click here

Update: The application for the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program will be available through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation on May 25, 2020.

The Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance will be available as a loan to small and medium businesses who are having trouble paying their rent. Moreover, the loan will be forgiven if landlords agree to reduce the commercial rent by at least 75% by signing a rent forgiveness agreement. The program will cover 50% of the reduction and will be applied for April, May and June. Businesses must be paying less than $50,000 per month in rent and have temporarily closed or lost 70% of their revenue.

For more information, click here.

Establishing a Business Credit Availability Program – Providing $65 billion of additional support through the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and Export Development Canada (EDC). This program includes:

• Update: Applicants with payroll under $20,000 can also apply and would need:
  • A business account at a participating financial institution.
  • A CRA business number, and have to have filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return.
  • Eligible non-deferrable expenses between $40,000 and $1.5 million.
• Canada Emergency Business Account – This account will provide interest-free loans of up to $40,000 to small businesses and not-for-profits, to help cover their operating costs during a period where their revenues are temporarily reduced. Organizations will need to demonstrate they paid between $20,000 to $1.5 million in total payroll in 2019.
• Loan Guarantee for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises – Working to issue new operating credit and cash flow term loans of up to $6.25 million.
• Co-Lending Program for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises – Working to co-lend term loans to SMEs for their operational cash flow requirements.

For more information, click here

The federal government is providing $450 million to support academic researchers by:

• Providing wage supports to universities and health research institutes so they can retain research staff.
• Supporting universities and health research institutes to maintain essential research-related activities during the crisis.

For more information, click here

Update: The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy has been extended until August 29, 2020.

For 3 months, qualifying businesses can request a subsidy of 75% of employee wages for up to 12 weeks. This is retroactive as of March 15, 2020 to June 06, 2020. Businesses will have to show that there has been a decline of 15% in revenue and they can also compare March 2020 revenue to January 2020 and February 2020. Applications opened on Monday April 27, 2020 and the maximum benefit is $847 per employee each week. For more information, click here

The Work-Sharing program is a program offered to workers who agree to reduce their normal working hours because of developments beyond the control of employers. The maximum duration of this program has been extended from 38 weeks to 76 weeks. For more information, click here

Increased credit for farmers and the agri-food sector through Farm Credit Canada.

The Insured Mortgage Purchase Program, will purchase up to $50 billion of insured mortgage pools through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. As a result, it will provide long-term stable funding to banks and mortgage lenders, help Canadian consumers and businesses, and add liquidity to Canada’s mortgage market.

Lowering interest rates, intervening to support key financial markets and providing liquidity support for financial institutions. For more information, click here.

The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions announced that they are lowering the Domestic Stability Buffer by 1.25% of risk-weighted assets. This action will allow Canada’s large banks to inject $300 billion of additional lending into the economy.

Businesses (including individuals who are self employed) can defer payments of the GST/HST, as well as customs duties owing on imports.