In unusual Saturday sittings of the House of Commons and the
Senate on April 11, 2020, the Government of Canada introduced legislation amending the Income Tax
Act (Canada) (ITA) to implement the Canada Emergency Wage
Subsidy (CEWS), which passed in both chambers and received royal
assent the same day.
The CEWS provides a subsidy of up to 75 per cent to eligible
employers in respect of remuneration for eligible employees for a
12-week period, which may be extended, beginning March 15,
2020.
While the enacted legislation is generally consistent with the
government's prior announcements, it includes some important
new details.
First, in a marked departure from the normal treatment of
taxpayer information, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) may publish
the name of any person or partnership that makes an application for
the CEWS. Thus, in determining whether to apply for CEWS, an
employer will need to consider any reputational and other
commercial impact from the CRA
