Report a subsidy on your tax return

On this page

• When to report a subsidy on your return
• How to report a subsidy on your return
  • Corporations
  • Trusts
  • Partnerships
  • Unincorporated businesses
  • Tax-exempt entities
• No GST/HST reporting requirements
• T4 reporting requirements for employers
• Temporary Wage Subsidy (TWS) reporting
• Employees: report income as usual

When to report a subsidy on your return

A wage or rent subsidy is considered government assistance and is taxable, unless you are exempt from income tax. This includes subsidy amounts you received through the:

• Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)
• Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS)
• Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP)
• Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program (THRP)
• Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program (HHBRP)

You must report a subsidy on your income tax or information return for the tax year (fiscal period) in which you are considered to have received it.

For example, if you applied for and received a subsidy for claim period 23 (November 21 to December 18, 2021), we would consider you to have received the amount on December 18, 2021, even if you applied for period 23 in 2022 or received your subsidy amount for period 23 in 2022.

How to report a subsidy on your return

How you report a subsidy on your tax or information return depends on the type of entity you are.

You may be able to elect to reduce your related wage expenses by the amount of government assistance (wage subsidy) you received, or reduce your related rent expenses by the amount of rent subsidy. Otherwise, you have to include the assistance in your income.

Corporations

Report the amounts of wage or rent subsidy you received for the tax year on both Schedule 1 of your T2 Corporation Income Tax Return (T2SCH1) and the General Index of Financial Information (GIFI).

On the GIFI, include the subsidy you received at line 8242.

On Schedule 1 of your T2 Corporation Income Tax Return (T2SCH1):

• On line 605, include a short description clearly identifying each COVID-19 subsidy you received
  Example: “CEWS $15,700, CERS $12,595”
• On the corresponding line 295, enter “0”
• If you are a member of a partnership, reflect any subsidy amount included in the partnership’s income and allocated to you in the amount you enter on line 129, “Income or loss for tax purposes – partnerships”

Related forms and guide

• General Index of Financial Information (GIFI) (RC4088)
• Income Statement Information (T2SCH125)
• Net Income (Loss) for Income Tax Purposes (T2SCH1)
• T2 Corporation - Income Tax Guide 2020 (T4012)

Trusts

Include the total wage or rent subsidy amount you received for the tax year on line 19, “Other income” of your T3 Trust Income Tax and Information Return.

If you are a member of a partnership, you should also enter any wage subsidy amount included in the partnership’s income and allocated to you on line 19.

Related form: T3 Trust Income Tax and Information Return (T3RET)

Partnerships

Report the amounts of wage or rent subsidy the partnership received for the fiscal period on both Schedule 1 of your T5013 (T5013SCH1) and the General Index of Financial Information (GIFI).

On the GIFI, include the subsidy the partnership received at line 8242.

On form T5013SCH1, Net Income (Loss) for Income Tax Purposes – Schedule 1:

• As a member of a partnership, reflect any subsidy amount included in the partnership’s income and allocated to you in the amount you enter on line 109, “Income or loss for tax purposes from partnerships”
• On any of lines 600 to 604, include a short description clearly identifying the total subsidy amount the partnership received
  Example: “CEWS $15,700, CERS $12,595”
• On the line 290 to 294 that corresponds to the line used to enter the description, enter “0”

Related forms and guide

• General Index of Financial Information (GIFI) (RC4088)
• Income Statement Information - Schedule 125 (T5013SCH125)
• Net Income (Loss) for Income Tax Purposes – Schedule 1 (T5013SCH1)

Unincorporated businesses

If you are an individual who has received a wage or rent subsidy amount as an eligible entity, report the total amount you received on the statement of activities form(s) that apply to your situation.

Sole proprietors (unincorporated, self-employed individuals) and partners in a business partnership

Include the total subsidy amount you received for the tax year on line 8230, “Other income” of form T2125, Statement of Business or Professional Activities.

Self-employed farmers

Include the total subsidy amount you received for the tax year on line 9600, “Other income” of form T2042, Statement of Farming Activities.

Self-employed fishers

Include the total subsidy amount you received for the tax year on line 9600, “Other income” of form T2121, Statement of Fishing Activities.

Partners in a partnership

If you are a partner in a partnership that has to file a partnership information return, the subsidy amount included in the partnership’s income and allocated to you will be in the amount at box 114 of your T5013, Statement of Partnership Income slip. Report the subsidy amount on the appropriate line of form T2125, form T2042, or form T2121, whichever applies. Do not enter this amount at line 13000 of your T1 Income Tax and Benefit Return.

For more information on completing the statement of activities form that applies to you as a partner in a business, farming, or fishing partnership, see guide T4002, Self-employed Business, Professional, Commission, Farming, and Fishing Income.

Related forms and guides

• Statement of Business or Professional Activities (T2125)
• Statement of Farming Activities (T2042)
• Statement of Fishing Activities (T2121)
• Self-employed Business, Professional, Commission, Farming, and Fishing Income (T4002)

Tax-exempt entities

If you are an income tax-exempt entity (such as a registered charity or a non-profit organization) that has received a wage or rent subsidy amount as an eligible entity, you may have to report the total amount you received on the information return (if any) that applies to your situation, even though this amount is not taxable to you.

Registered charities

Use the T3010, Registered Charity Information Return, to report a subsidy amount you received as income.

If you are a registered charity that does not have to complete Schedule 6, you can report subsidy amounts you received as income by checking “Yes” at line 4565, “Did the charity receive any revenue from any level of government in Canada?” of Section D and including the total subsidy amount you received for the fiscal period on line 4570.

Otherwise, include the total subsidy amount you received for the tax year on line 4540, “Total revenue received from federal government” of Schedule 6.

Related form: Registered Charity Information Return (T3010)

Registered Canadian amateur athletic association

There is no particular line on form T2052, Registered Canadian Amateur Athletic Association Information Return, to report a wage or rent subsidy. The financial statements for the fiscal period covered by the return should indicate the different sources of revenue in enough detail to show how funds were spent and invested.

Related form: Registered Canadian Amateur Athletic Association Information Return (T2052)

Other tax-exempt eligible entities

If your organization is required to file the T1044, Non-profit Organization (NPO) Information Return, include the total subsidy amount your organization received for the tax year on line 101, “Federal, provincial, and municipal grants and payments” of your NPO Information Return. For more information on whether the organization you represent has to file a NPO Information Return, see guide T4117, Income Tax Guide to the Non-Profit Organization (NPO) Information Return.

Related form and guide

• Non-Profit Organization (NPO) Information Return (T1044)
• Income Tax Guide to the Non-profit Organization (NPO) Information Return (T4117)

No GST/HST reporting requirements

Wage and rent subsidy amounts you received are not considered taxable supplies.

Do not include these amounts on the GST/HST return.

T4 reporting requirements for employers

Temporary Wage Subsidy (TWS) reporting

If you took advantage of the temporary 10% wage subsidy in 2020, you can read about the T4 and tax reporting requirements for the TWS.

Employees: report income as usual

Employees who received income supported by a wage subsidy their employer received do not need to take any special action when completing their returns.

Employment income will appear on the T4 as usual, whether the employer used the wage subsidy to pay the wages or not. Employees should report this income on the individual tax return at line 10100 according to the T4 instructions.

For 2020 only, employees may have noticed other information boxes related to CEWS (codes 57, 58, 59, or 60) on the T4 slip they received in 2020. The amounts in these boxes are for information only and do not need to be reported on their tax return.

There are no T4A slips issued to employees for wage subsidies, as there are for other COVID benefits paid directly to individuals.