Did you receive CERB Repayment letter from CRA?
rebuild your worth, book a free consultation todayBook Now
Written by Sandra Jackson CPA Prof. Corp. | 600 words | Reading Time: 3 minutes | Date: 2022/07/05
Starting April 2020, Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) provided financial support to employed and self-employed Canadians who were affected by COVID-19.
If you were eligible, you could have received $2,000 for a 4-week period (the same as $500 a week) during the initial stage of the program, which has since ended.
Two years later, since May 10, 2022 (CRA, Government of Canada, 2022)- The Canada Revenue Agency has started sending Notice of Redetermination (NoRs) letters to inform Canadians of the debts that have been established on their CRA accounts. Canadians who receive these letters, but still believe they are eligible for the CERB payments, should contact the CRA and provide any additional information required to validate their claim.
These letters however, have caused concerns among the low –income earners who are unable to repay all or any of the benefit back.
Tax slips Issued:
The payments are taxed in the year you received them. CERB benefit payment amounts received from Service Canada are included in box 14 of your T4E slip. The total amount in box 14 includes your CERB amounts along with other Employment Insurance benefits (Agency, 2021).
The CRA will include all the COVID-19 benefit amounts you received from the CRA on one T4A slip. Each benefit will have its own box number on your T4A slip.
Click to Book A Free Consultation
Repayment of CERB:
Since many Canadians are now trying to repay the benefits, it may get tricky when reporting the deduction on your taxes. The timing of when you repay the CERB benefit may also affect your taxes. Ensure the T4A slip is issued for the year you made the repayment.
Here is a detailed breakdown of when to report your repayments on your taxes (CRA, 2022):
Repaid in 2020 | Since the benefits were issued in 2020 and you repaid in the same year, the repayment should have been subtracted from your total benefit amount on your T4A or T4E slip. Hence, you did not pay tax on amounts you repaid in 2020. |
Repaid in 2021 | Your repayment amount will be on your 2021 T4A slip. If you repaid your benefits you received in 2020, you can choose from these three options:
|
Repaid in 2022 | Your repayment amount will be on your 2022 T4A slip. Again, you can choose from these three options:
|
Repaid in 2023 or later years. | If you repay a benefit amount after December 31, 2022, you can only claim a deduction in the year you make the repayment. |
Click to Book A Free Consultation
References
Agency, T. C. (2021, April 30). Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html
CRA. (2022, June 1). Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/benefits/apply-for-cer…
CRA. (2022, May 11). Government of Canada. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/news/2022/05/update-on-the-gove…
About Author :
Website: Sandra Jackson CPA Prof. Corp.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter