The Canadian government has announced a number of COVID-19 programs to assist individuals and business to get through these difficult times.

Some of the government programs are:

Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)

Temporary income support for workers who have stopped working or are earning less than $1,000 (before taxes) in a month due to COVID-19. It provides a payment of $2,000 for a 4-week period for up to 16 weeks.

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)

CEWS provides a 75% wage subsidy to eligible employers for up to 12 weeks, retroactive to March 15, 2020, as a result of COVID-19. Eligible employers can apply using CRA My Business Account, Represent a Client or the Web Forms application. Confirm eligibility with your Chartered Accountant before applying for this subsidy.

Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB)

Temporary financial support for eligible post-secondary students and graduating high school students who are unable to work due to COVID-19.

Additional information and the latest updates can be found at: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html

Please be aware that some of the programs have complex eligibility requirements, and you should seek the advice of a small business accountant or tax accountant before applying to any of these programs.