To qualify for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), a business must meet the following eligibility criteria:
1. Demonstrate a decline in revenue: The business must have experienced a decline in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decline in revenue must be at least 10% for the qualifying period starting in July 2021 and later, and 30% for the qualifying periods before July 2021.
2. Active business: The business must be an active business in Canada and have a Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business number as of March 15, 2020.
3. Eligible employees: The business must have had eligible employees for whom they paid eligible remuneration during the qualifying period. Eligible employees are individuals employed in Canada, excluding those who were without remuneration for 14 or more consecutive days during the qualifying period.
4. Openness to the public: If the business is a public institution, it must demonstrate that it is not a public body performing a function of government, and it must not receive more than 50% of its funding from government sources.
5. Other conditions: There are additional conditions and requirements that businesses must meet to be eligible for the CEWS. These include keeping records and documentation to support their revenue decline and payroll information, as well as complying with the anti-avoidance rules.
It’s important to note that the eligibility criteria and requirements for the CEWS may change over time, and businesses should check the government of Canada’s website for the most up-to-date information.