- The program has been extended until November 21, 2020
- Claim period 6: August 2 to August 29, 2020
- Claim period 7: August 30 to September 26, 2020
- Claim period 8: September 27 to October 24, 2020
- Claim period 9: October 25 to November 21, 2020 - Eligible employers who had any drop in revenue can now qualify for the wage subsidy, starting with the claim periods that began July 5, 2020
- The subsidy rate varies depending on how much your revenue dropped (see table below)
- Employers who were hardest hit over a period of three months will receive a higher amount
- Employers who are especially hard-hit can qualify for a top-up of up to 25% (see table below)
- The maximum base subsidy rate is 60% for claim periods 5 and 6
- The maximum base subsidy rate will begin to decline in period 7, gradually reducing to 20% in period 9 - Eligibility has been expanded to include the following employers:
- Sole proprietorships and taxable corporations
- Certain Indigenous government-owned corporations
- Non-profit organizations
- Partnerships consisting of 50% or more eligible employers
- Registered charities - You can now calculate your revenue drop in different ways, and choose the way that works best for your situation
- Use the current period’s revenue drop or the previous period’s, whichever works in your favour
- Even if your revenue has not dropped for the current claim period, you can still qualify if your average revenue over the previous three months dropped more than 50%
- Employees who were unpaid for 14 or more days can now be included in your calculation
| Period 5 | Period 6 | Period 7 | Period 8 | Period 9 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum weeklybenefit per employee | $677.40(60% x $1,129) | $677.40(60% x $1,129) | $564.50(50% x $1,129) | $451.60(40% x $1,129) | $225.80(20% x $1,129) |
| Revenue reduction 50% or more | 60% Max | 60% Max | 50% Max | 40% Max | 20% Max |
| Revenue reduction 49% or less | 1.2 x Reduction (ex. 1.2 x 20% RR = 24%) | 1.2 x Reduction (ex. 1.2 x 20% RR = 24%) | 1.0 x Reduction (ex. 1.0 x 20% RR = 20%) | 0.8 x Reduction(ex. 0.8 x 20% RR = 16%) | 0.4 x Reduction(ex. 0.4 x 20% RR = 8%) |
| Revenue drop 70% or more | Revenue drop between 50 - 70% | Revenue drop between 0 - 50% |
| 25% up to $282.25/week per employee | 1.25 x (your 3-month average revenue drop % - 50%)ex. 1.25 x (60% - 50%) = 12.5%or $141.13/week per employee | No top-up |
Questions?
If you have any questions about the emergency wage subsidy or any other services that we offer, please contact one of our Tax experts or complete the contact form below.
For a complete list of our COVID-19 resources for individuals and businesses, please visit availcpa.com/resources
You may also like...
View all news
March 9, 2026, 10 a.m.
|
Food And Beverage
,
Manufacturing
,
Small Business
Alberta Corporate Income Tax correspondence is going paperless
Starting April 1, 2026, Alberta CIT notices will only be delivered electronically through TRACS.
March 2, 2026, 8 a.m.
|
Firm News
Congratulations to Daniel Denegri on earning his CPA designation
Join us in recognizing this significant moment in Daniel’s professional journey.
Feb. 27, 2026, 8 a.m.
|
Firm News
Congratulations to Sara Barfuss on earning her CPA designation
Join us in celebrating this meaningful step forward in Sara’s career.
Free Consultation
Have questions? Book a free consultation. It's really just a casual conversation where we try to learn more about you and your goals, and how we can help you achieve those.
