The new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) is now open for applications!
This subsidy covers commercial rent, commercial property tax, insurance, and mortgage interest for businesses with a drop in revenue.
What Can Your Business Get?
Businesses can qualify for up to 90% coverage depending on their revenue this year compared to 2019.
However, even a 1% drop in revenue can qualify a business for the subsidy. So, be sure to check out the CRA’s online calculator to see what your business might get.
The Canadian government calculates how much each business gets on a tiered basis. Businesses with a 70% drop in revenue will receive 65% coverage. The coverage decreases from there as the revenue drop decreases. There is also a 25% top-up available for businesses who have been forced to close due to regulations.
Unlike the previous program, landlords no longer have to apply for business owners. You can click this link to check out more info and learn how to start your application.
Application Information
Applications will begin being processed on November 30th and payments will start to go out to business owners on December 4th. For quick payment, make sure you have direct deposit set up, as cheques will take longer to arrive in the mail.
The first period will cover expenses from September 27th to October 24th. You will need your revenue from these two months as well as your revenue from either September and October 2019 or January and February 2020 for comparison purposes to complete your application.
The program states that rent/bills must be payed from the period in order to qualify, but don’t worry if you haven’t been able to do so! The CRA says that they are waiving this rule so long as businesses pay their outstanding bills within 60 days of receiving the subsidy.
This program is set to run until June 2021, however the current guidelines will end on December 19th.
For more business supports available for businesses during COVID-19, click here!
Watch the video below to get more information about CERS, what you need to apply and what you can get from the program! Be sure to like the video if you enjoy and subscribe to our channel for more updates!