Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)

Go to navigation menu
Skip to main content

How to apply

Before you apply

Answer these questions to ensure your application will be quick and easy:

Confirm that the claim period you are applying for is open

Choose the claim period you are applying for

Period 1: March 15 to April 11, 2020
Period 2: April 12 to May 9, 2020
Period 3: May 10 to June 6, 2020
Period 4: June 7 to July 4, 2020
Period 5: July 5 to August 1, 2020
Period 6: August 2 to August 29, 2020
Period 7: August 30 to September 26, 2020
Period 8: September 27 to October 24, 2020
Period 9: October 25 to November 21, 2020
Period 10: November 22 to December 19, 2020
Period 11: December 20, 2020 to January 16, 2021
Period 12: January 17 to February 13, 2021
Period 13: February 14 to March 13, 2021
Period 14: March 14 to April 10, 2021
Period 15: April 11 to May 8, 2021
Period 16: May 9 to June 5, 2021
Period 17: June 6 to July 3, 2021
Period 18: July 4 to July 31, 2021
Period 19: August 1 to August 28, 2021
Period 20: August 29 to September 25, 2021
Period 21: September 26 to October 23, 2021

Confirm you have completed the calculations

For claim periods 17 to 21, you can only apply for either the CEWS or CRHP, whichever gives you the higher amount.

You will need to calculate both your CEWS and CRHP amounts before applying for the CEWS in claim periods 17 to 21.

Set up direct deposit

Direct deposit payments take 3 to 5 business days. A cheque takes about 10 business days.

Apply for CEWS

You must submit a separate application for each claim period you are eligible for, and for each payroll (RP) account you have.

Read the Privacy Statement

Privacy Notice for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy

When you apply for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), your information is collected under the authority of the Income Tax Act as part of the Government of Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time the relevant personal information bank, CRA PPU 231, may not have been registered.

The information you provide will be used for the purpose of (i) administering your application, and could be used for (ii) issuing a payment to your business, (iii) verifying that your business meets the program’s eligibility requirements, and (iv) to collect any overpayments or erroneous payments that may have been issued. Failure to provide information will affect consideration for the subsidy. Providing false information may lead to penalties and other serious consequences.

Please note that to process your application we will need to access information in your tax file. Information regarding your participation in the program may be disclosed to the public in accordance with the Income Tax Act.

Under the Privacy Act, you have a right of protection, access to and correction of your personal information and to file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada regarding our handling of your information.

For an in-depth understanding of the online application requirements and input fields, refer to the application guide.

There are three ways to apply:

Option 1

In My Business Account, find the CEWS application under “Payroll” on the main menu.

Read about the attestation form and elections for the application

Option 2

Business representatives may apply using Represent a Client
Note: Only representatives authorized at Level 2 or 3 will be able to apply with a completed attestation form

Option 3

If neither is an option for you, use the Web Forms application using your web access code (WAC)

Attestation and elections

Attestation form for representatives

If you are completing the application as a representative of an employer, you are required to have the owner (or person who is financially responsible) complete and sign a separate attestation form. Keep this completed and signed attestation form in case we ask you to submit it in the future.

Form to download:

Attestation for owner/managers and/or senior employees (comptroller/VP Finance/CFO) of an eligible employer applying for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy or the Canada Recovery Hiring Program (RC661)

If you apply for the CEWS on your own behalf using MyBA or the Web Forms application, you will make an attestation as part of the online application and do not normally need to download a separate attestation form.

Elections or choices under subsections 125.7(1) or 125.7(4) of the Income Tax Act

When you apply, you will be asked if you have made any of the elections or choices related to the CEWS and CRHP program rules in the legislation.

You may need to select "yes" to this question in the application form to see the full list of elections if you are in any of these circumstances:

Revenue drop comparison months: If you used the alternative prior reference period (average of January and February 2020) to calculate your revenue drop
Pre-crisis pay (baseline remuneration): If you calculated your non-arm’s-length employee pre-crisis pay (baseline remuneration) using a period other than January 1, 2020, to March 15, 2020
Registered charity or non-profit: If you are a registered charity or not-for-profit employer who excluded government funding from your revenue
Accounting method: If you used the cash method to calculate your revenue when you normally use the accrual method, or vice versa
Non-arm's-length revenue: If you earn most of your revenue from non-arm’s-length sources
Purchased another business: If you purchased all (or almost all) of another person's or partnership’s business assets
Consolidated financial statements: If you are part of a group of eligible employers who prepare consolidated financial statements that decided to determine your revenue separately
Affiliated group of employers: If you are part of an affiliated group of eligible employers that decided to determine your revenue on a consolidated basis
Joint venture: If you are owned by participants in a joint venture and you calculated your eligible revenue using the revenue of the joint venture

Date modified:: 2021-11-23

Language selection

Search