Help for Businesses

• You can visit Canada.ca/coronavirus for more information about the virus and the Government of Canada’s actions. You can also contact the Government of Canada’s information line at 1-833-784-4397.
• You can learn how the Ministry of Health is helping to keep Ontarians safe during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak. Find out how to protect yourself and how to recognize symptoms by visiting https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus
• You can visit RichmondHill.ca/covid19 for more information, including City services and Business Support. The Access Richmond Hill Contact Centre is available to respond to general inquiries by email at access@richmondhill.ca or by phone at 905-771-8800 during business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Residents can also submit an inquiry using our online portal at RichmondHill.ca/Access.

Consider shifting resources to existing ecommerce options (Amazon, eBay) to sell to new customers online and other opportunities to manage through decreased customer demand.

Attend webinars by Richmond Hill Small Business Enterprise Centre (RHSBEC) and other Small Business support organizations across York Region.

• RHSBEC seminars and events: Richmondhill.ca/seminars
• BDC Free Webinar: BDC - How to cope with the impacts of COVID-19 on your business - On Demand - Watch Here
  
• EDC Webinar: Coronavirus (COVID-19): Managing the impact on global supply chains - On Demand - Register Here
  
• RHBOT webinars, virtual mentorship and other event. Learn more. 
  
• RHBOT - Shop Local Richmond Hill - Online Order Guide
  

Speak to your service providers/landlords if payments are upcoming. They are keenly aware of the situation and there will likely be room for flexibility in payment terms.

• The Canadian Government has announced all taxpayers can defer, until September 1, 2020, the payment of any income tax amounts that become owing on or after mid-March and before September 2020. Learn more. 

• The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and other mortgage insurers offer tools to lenders that can assist homeowners who may be experiencing financial difficulty. These include payment deferral, loan re-amortization, capitalization of outstanding interest arrears and other eligible expenses, and special payment arrangements.
• Canada’s mortgage insurers are committed to providing homeowners with solutions to mitigate temporary financial hardship related to COVID-19. This includes permitting lenders to defer up to six monthly mortgage payments (interest and principal) for impacted borrowers. Deferred payments are added to the outstanding principal balance and subsequently repaid throughout the life of the mortgage.

1.    Federal Government Funding Programs: Learn more

2.    FedDev Ontario

Current tourism operator or small-or-medium-sized business or organization that has received FedDev Ontario funding and COVID-19 is affecting their operations:

• Are encouraged to contact their project officer.
• May be eligible to receive additional funding and/or flexible arrangements.
• Further support will be determined on a case-by-case basis as the situation evolves.

Tourism operator or small-or-medium-sized business or organization impacted by the sudden shifts in the economy and need pressing assistance, contact FedDev Ontario (1-866-593-5505) for help with:

• Access to federal funding to help you stay in business.
• Advice and pathfinding services to other federal programs and services available.

Learn more 

 3.    Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP)

The Government of Canada has established BCAP to provide $65 billion of additional support through the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and Export Development Canada (EDC). BDC and EDC are working with private lenders to coordinate on credit solutions for individual businesses. This program includes:

•  Canada Emergency Business Account

The new Canada Emergency Business Account will provide interest-free loans of up to $40,000 to small businesses and not-for-profits, to help cover their operating costs during a period where their revenues have been temporarily reduced.

To qualify, these organizations will need to demonstrate they paid between $50,000 to $1 million in total payroll in 2019.

• Loan Guarantee for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

To support small and medium-sized businesses’ operations, EDC will guarantee new operating credit and cash flow term loans that financial institutions extend to SMEs, up to $6.25 million.

The program cap for this new loan program will be a total of $20 billion for export sector and domestic companies.

• Co-Lending Program for SMEs

To provide additional liquidity support for Canadian businesses, the Co-Lending Program will bring the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) together with financial institutions to co-lend term loans to SMEs for their operational cash flow requirements.

Eligible businesses may obtain incremental credit amounts up to $6.25 million BDC’s portion of this program is up to $5 million maximum per loan. Eligible financial institutions will conduct the underwriting and manage the interface with their customers. The potential for lending for this program will be $20 billion.

For more information visit Business Credit Availability Program

Or contact BDC and EDC at:

• Business Development Bank of Canada: info@bdc.ca; 1-877-232-2269
• Export Development Canada: BCAP@EDC.ca; 1-800-229-0575

Q. What is the 10% Temporary Wage Subsidy for Employers?

Q. What financing programs are available through BDC?

• Working capital loans of up to $2 million with flexible repayment terms, such as principal postponements for qualifying businesses;
• Reduced rates on new eligible loans;
• Flexible repayment terms, such as postponement of principal payments for up to 6 months, for existing BDC clients with total BDC loan commitment of $1 million or less;
• The Small and Medium-Sized Business Loan and Guarantee program will help Canada’s financial institutions provide additional credit and liquidity options, backed by BDC and EDC, that Canadian businesses need immediately to meet their operational cash flow requirements.

BDC Support for Entrepreneurs 

1. City of Richmond Hill

For more information visit the Property Tax Billings page.

2. Canada Revenue Agency will defer the filing due date for the 2019 tax returns of individuals, including certain trusts. 

• For individuals (other than trusts), the return filing due date will be deferred until June 1, 2020.
• For trusts having a taxation year ending on December 31, 2019, the return filing due date will be deferred until May 1, 2020.
• For businesses, the Canada Revenue Agency will allow all businesses to defer, until after August 31, 2020.
• Taxpayer relief requests

Taxpayers who are unable to file a return or make a payment by the tax-filing and payment deadlines because of COVID-19 can request the cancellation of penalty and interest charged to their account. Penalties and interest will not be charged if the new deadlines that the government has announced to tax-filing and payments are met.

For more information about taxpayer relief and how to make a request to the CRA to have interest and/or penalties cancelled, please go to the taxpayer relief provisions page.  

• Deferral of Sales Tax Remittance and Customs Duty Payments

Businesses, including self-employed individuals, are allowed to defer until June 30, 2020 payments of the Goods and Services Tax / Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST), as well as customs duties owing on their imports.

The deferral will apply to GST/HST remittances for the February, March and April 2020 reporting periods for monthly filers; the January 1, 2020 through March 31, 2020 reporting period for quarterly filers; and for annual filers, the amounts collected and owing for their previous fiscal year and instalments of GST/HST in respect of the filer’s current fiscal year.

For GST and customs duty payments for imported goods, deferral will include amounts owing for March, April and May.

Learn more about income tax filing and payment dates.

• Extending the Work-Sharing program

The federal government is extending the maximum duration of the Work-Sharing program from 38 weeks to 76 weeks. The program is offered to workers who agree to reduce their normal working hours because of developments beyond the control of their employers.

Apply to the Work-Sharing program.

• Providing small business with wage subsidies

The federal government announced an up to 75 per cent wage subsidy for qualifying businesses, for up to 3 months, retroactive to March 15, 2020. This will help businesses to keep and return workers to the payroll. Details on the eligibility criteria - Learn more. 

• Low- and modest-income families: The federal government is proposing to provide a one-time special payment by early May 2020 through the Goods and Services Tax credit (GSTC). The average boost to income for those benefiting from this measure will be close to $400 for single individuals and close to $600 for couples.

• Families with children: The federal government is proposing to increase the maximum annual Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payment amounts, only for the 2019-20 benefit year, by $300 per child.

Visit Employment Insurance page.

• Service Canada - Free Webinar:

Employment Insurance Benefits (Types of EI benefits, actions required for maintaining benefits earnings while on claim and other resources to support return to work endeavours) | Email ON-YORK-DURHAM-SC-EVENTS-EVENEMENTS-GD@servicecanada.gc.ca to register for the upcoming webinars.

Former employees can visit this website to apply for EI benefits. Afterwards, you can apply to have the one-week waiting period waived by calling the government’s toll-free number at 1-833-381-2725.

For more information visit the Employment Insurance page. 

The Government of Canada has announced the creation of the New Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). Details below on how the program will work:

The Government of Canada will provide a taxable benefit of $2,000 a month for up to 4 months to:

• workers who must stop working due to COVID-19 and do not have access to paid leave or other income support.
• workers who are sick, quarantined, or taking care of someone who is sick with COVID-19.
• working parents who must stay home without pay to care for children that are sick or need additional care because of school and daycare closures.
• workers who still have their employment but are not being paid because there is currently not sufficient work and their employer has asked them not to come to work.
• wage earners and self-employed individuals, including contract workers, who would not otherwise be eligible for Employment Insurance.

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit will be accessible through a secure web portal starting in early April. Applicants will also be able to apply via an automated telephone line or via a toll-free number.

Apply for Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) with CRA. Learn more. 

• Residing in Canada, who are at least 15 years old;
• Who have stopped working because of reasons related to COVID-19 or are eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits or have exhausted their Employment Insurance regular benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020;
• Who had employment and/or self-employment income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of their application; and,
• Who have not quit their job voluntarily.

When submitting your first claim, you cannot have earned more than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for 14 or more consecutive days within the four-week benefit period of your claim.

When submitting subsequent claims, you cannot have earned more than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for the entire four-week benefit period of your new claim.

No. Workers who remain attached to their company can receive the CERB if they meet the eligibility requirements.

Q. Under what circumstances can I apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit?

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit is available to those who stop working for reasons related to COVID-19, for example:

• You have lost your job;
• You are in quarantine or sick due to COVID-19;
• You are taking care of others because they are in quarantine or sick due to COVID-19; and/or
• You are taking care of children or other dependents because their care facility is closed due to COVID-19.

Alternatively, you can apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit if:

• You are eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits; or
• You are a former Employment Insurance claimant who used up your entitlement to your Employment Insurance regular benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020.

Q. Does the minimum income of $5000 have to be earned in Canada?

No. The income dos not have to be earned in Canada, but you need to reside in Canada. 

While employers are encouraged to do everything in their power to avoid layoffs, it is understandable that it can’t be avoided in some cases.

Where a temporary layoff is permitted, the maximum length of time that an employee can be laid off is 13 weeks in a consecutive 20-week period.  The 20-week period begins on the first day of the layoff.

If an employee earns less than 50% of his or her regular wages in any week that falls within the 20-week period, that week will also count towards the 13-week period.

Work-Sharing Program is a program that helps prevent layoffs when there is a temporary reduction in the normal level of business activity that is beyond the control of the employer. The program provides income support to employees eligible for Employment Insurance benefits who work a temporarily reduced workweek while the business recovers.

Employees on a Work-Sharing agreement must agree to a reduced schedule of work and to share the available work over a specific period.

The federal government introduced temporary special measure that extends the maximum duration of Work-Sharing agreements from 38 weeks to 76 weeks across Canada for those businesses affected by the downturn in business due to COVID-19.