Update: May 6, 2024

CERB reviews continue as CRA works to collect what it deems as billions in non-eligible payments. However, if you received a notice for repayment but believe you were eligible under the rules, there are opportunities for 2 additional reviews and should you wish, the potential for a judicial review and contacting the Taxpayer’s Ombudsperson’s office may also help.
Article: https://loom.ly/oCiR27c
Ombudsperson: https://loom.ly/O6j0Rls

(Updated 01.13.2022)

CEBA loan repayment has been extended to December 31, 2023 (from Dec 31, 2022) for recipients to receive the forgiveness.

If loans are not repaid by December 31, 2023, the loans will be converted to two-year terms loans with interest at 5%.  The loans would be fully repaid by December 31, 2025.

The federal government has announced that it has updated the application process for the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA), which will be available on Friday, June 19, 2020. This means that certain businesses that had not been eligible for the program previously, may become eligible this week. For information on the CEBA visit our original blog post here.  The following are details of the new eligibility, application process, exclusions and restrictions, and more.  This is specifically for those businesses that did not qualify under the original program

To qualify under the expanded eligibility rules (referred to as the ‘Non-Deferrable Expense Stream’), CEBA applicants with a payroll of less than $20,000 in 2019 will need a business operating account at a participating financial institution, a Canada Revenue Agency business number, and have filed a 2018 or 2019 income tax return. They also must have eligible non-deferrable expenses ranging between $40,000 and $1.5 million.

CEBA has been extended to October 31, 2020, from August 31, 2020, to allow more business access.

• The Borrower is a Canadian operating business in operation as of March 1, 2020.
• The Borrower has a federal tax registration.
• The Borrower has a Canada Revenue Agency business number and has filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return.
• The Borrower has eligible non-deferrable expenses between $40,000CAD and $1,500,000CAD. (Details of qualifying expenses are below). Expenses will be subject to verification and audit by the Government of Canada.
• The Borrower has an active business chequing/operating account with the Lender, which is its primary financial institution. This account was opened on or prior to March 1, 2020, and was not in arrears on existing borrowing facilities, if applicable, with the Lender by 90 days or more as of March 1, 2020.
• The Borrower has not previously used the Program and will not apply for support under the Program at any other financial institution.
• The Borrower acknowledges its intention to continue to operate its business or to resume operations.
• The Borrower agrees to participate in post-funding surveys conducted by the Government of Canada or any of its agents.

The same borrower exclusions as set out in the original CEBA program by the Government of Canada still apply.

The borrower must also ensure that they are using these funds to pay non-deferrable operating expenses including, payroll, rent, utilities, insurance, property tax and regularly scheduled debt service, and may not be used to fund any payments or expenses such as prepayment/refinancing of existing indebtedness, payments of dividends, distributions and increases in management compensation.

CEBA applications under the 2020 Eligible Non-Deferrable Expenses Stream are expected to be available starting on Friday, June 19, 2020, and will follow a two-step process:

• Businesses will initiate applications directly at their primary financial institution where they hold their primary business chequing/operating account.
• Following the initial application through your financial institution, applicants will be directed to a CEBA website to provide supporting documentation of the 2020 Eligible Non-Deferrable Expenses and to complete the application. This documentation includes:
  1. The name of the financial institution where you submitted your application; and
  2. Your 9-digit business number (the same number you used in your application with your financial institution); and
  3. Electronic or paper copies of Receipts/Invoices/Agreements to be uploaded as evidence of your 2020 Eligible Non-Deferrable Expenses.

Eligible Non-Deferrable Expenses include:

• Wages and other employment expenses to independent (arm’s length) third parties;
• Rent or lease payments for real estate used for business purposes;
• Rent or lease payments for capital equipment used for business purposes;
• Payments incurred for insurance-related costs;
• Payments incurred for property taxes;
• Payments incurred for business purposes for telephone and utilities in the form of gas, oil, electricity, water and internet;
• Payments for regularly scheduled debt service;
• Payments incurred under agreements with independent contractors and fees required in order to maintain licenses, authorizations or permissions necessary to conduct business by the Borrower.

The Government will assess the application information submitted via financial institutions in the first step together with the supporting documentation and information provided in the second step. If successful, the Government of Canada will notify your financial institution and provide funding.

Once you have applied at your primary financial institution, uploaded all necessary supporting documents, and if pre-funding eligibility validation is successful, you should expect to receive funding within 10-15 business days.

For applicants that have more than one business, each qualifying business can apply (limit one CEBA loan per business) with its unique 9-digit CRA Business Number.

There are currently 233 financial institutions participating in the CEBA program, you can find a list of them here (click on “How can I apply for the CEBA).