COVID-19 Response Plan - BC Government - Support for Canadians

BC Support for Businesses

Provincial Business Taxes

Eligibility

• Employer health tax (EHT) payments
• Provincial sales tax (PST)
• Tobacco tax
• Motor fuel tax
• Carbon tax

Benefit

• 2019 EHT return due date and 2019 final payment deferred until September 30, 2020.
• 2020 EHT instalments deferred until September 30, 2020.
• PST tax return filings and payments otherwise due after March 23, 2020 are extended until September 30, 2020.
• Delay of April 1, 2020 increase to provincial carbon tax, as well as new PST registration requirements on e-commerce and implementation of PST on sweetened carbonated drinks

Action Needed

• No action required
• More details on BC provincial tax changes available:
  • BC Tax Changes

PST Rebate on Select Machinery & Equipment

Eligibility

• Program allows eligible businesses to apply for a rebate of 100% of PST paid between September 17, 2020 and September 30, 2021 on select machinery and equipment
• All incorporated businesses except for the following:
  • Crown corporations
  • Local government operations
  • Charities and non-profit corporations, except incorporated businesses wholly or partly owned by charities and non-profit corporations
  • Schools, school boards and universities
  • Hospitals
• Regional health boards and community health councils

Benefit

• Eligible property must be:
  • included in the definition of capital cost allowances classes 8, 10, 12, 16, 43, 43.1, 43.2, 46, 50, 53, 54 and 55
  • obtained substantially for purpose of gaining or producing income, and
  • not excluded (per backgrounder)
• software and goods, other than goods obtained by lease, must be capital assets for rebate to apply

Action Needed

• PST Rebate on Select Machinery & Equipment

BC Increased Employment Incentive

Eligibility

All private sector BC employers, including most charities and non-profits, who increase their BC remuneration by creating new jobs or increasing pay of existing low- or medium-income employees over last quarter (October to December) of 2020

Benefit

Tax credit is calculated at 15% of amount that employer’s qualifying BC remuneration exceeds the employer’s base BC remuneration

Action Needed

• Application period will begin March 2021
• Employers required to register for incentive through the eTaxBC system
• For more information, see backgrounder

WorkSafeBC (closed)

Eligibility

• Employers subject to quarterly WorkSafeBC reporting and payments

Benefit

• Q1 2020 payment deadline extended from April 20, 2020 to June 30, 2020

Action Needed

• No action required

School Taxes (closed)

Eligibility

• Commercial property (Classes 4, 5 and 6) owners and tenants on triple-net leases

Benefit

• School tax rates will be reduced by 50% for 2020 tax year

Action Needed

• No action required

BC Hydro COVID-19 Relief (closed)

Eligibility

• Small businesses closed due to COVID-19 may be eligible for Relief Fund
• Customers experiencing financial hardship but not eligible for Relief Fund may be eligible for Customer Assistance Program

Benefit

• Relief Fund allows eligible small businesses up to three months of electricity charges waived
• Customer Assistance Program provides interest-free bill deferrals and payment plans

Action Needed

• Online application until June 30, 2020 for Relief Fund
• Contact BC Hydro for Customer Assistance Program
• More details available:
  • COVID-19 Relief Fund
  • Customer Assistance Program

Fortis BC COVID-19 Customer Recovery Fund (closed)

Eligibility

• Small businesses experiencing income loss or closure due to COVID-19 may be eligible

Benefit

• Option to receive bill credits to offset charges or to defer bill payments from April 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020
• Both options may be available depending on situation

Action Needed

• Online or telephone application until June 30, 2020
• More details available:
  • Customer Recovery Fund

BC Liquor License Renewal Fee Deferral (closed)

Eligibility

• Businesses with liquor licenses expiring between March 31 and June 30, 2020 (excluding licensee retails stores, special wine stores and wine stores with wine on shelf in grocery stores)

Benefit

• Temporary extension for liquor licenses expiring between March 31 and June 30, 2020; license renewal application and fees are deferred until September 30, 2020

Action Needed

• More details available:
  • BC Liquor Renewal Fees

BC Support For Individuals

Emergency Benefit for Workers (closed – program has ended)

Eligibility

• British Columbians who are eligible for Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) as a result of COVID-19 impact

Benefit

• Must be BC resident as of March 15, 2020 and must file 2019 BC income tax return

Benefit

• One-time payment of $1,000
• Applications commence May 1, 2020 and end on December 2, 2020

Action Needed

• See BC provincial website to apply online:
  • BC Emergency Benefit

Enhanced Climate Action Tax Credit

Eligibility

• British Columbians who:
  • Are 19 years of age or older,
  • Have a spouse or common-law partner, or
  • Are a parent residing with their child

Benefit

• One-time enhanced July 2020 payment is:
• Up to $218 (an increase of up to $174.50 from the regular tax credit amount) for you, your spouse or common-law partner, or your first child in a single parent family
• Up to $64 (an increase of up to $51.25 from the regular tax credit amount), for each additional child
• Subject to income threshold limit

Action Needed

• File 2019 personal income tax return
• More details on BCCATC available:
  • BCCATC

BC Hydro COVID-19 Relief (closed)

Eligibility

• Residential customers not working due to COVID-19 may be eligible for Relief Fund
• For customers facing temporary financial hardship and possible disconnection of service due to job loss, illness, or loss of family member may be eligible for Customer Crisis Fund
• Customers experiencing financial hardship but not eligible for Relief Fund may be eligible for Customer Assistance Program

Benefit

• Relief Fund allows eligible residential customers to receive three months of free credit on BC Hydro bill
• Customer Crisis Fund provides a grant towards overdue balances (maximum grant for electricity is $600; maximum grant for natural gas is $500)

Action Needed

• Online application until June 30, 2020 for Relief Fund and Crisis Fund
• Contact BC Hydro for Customer Assistance Program
• More details available:
  • COVID-19 Relief Fund
  • Customer Crisis Fund
  • Customer Assistance Program

Fortis BC COVID-19 Customer Recovery Fund (closed)

Eligibility

• Residential customers experiencing loss of employment, livelihood or voluntary leave due to COVID-19

Benefit

• Bills automatically deferred, from April 1 to June 30, 2020
• Deferred payments not subject to interest and penalties

Action Needed

• Online or telephone application until June 30, 2020
• More details available:
  • Customer Recovery Fund

ICBC (BC Public Auto insurance) (closed)

Eligibility

• Holders of personal and business BC auto insurance Defers scheduled ICBC insurance payments for 90 days
• Apply on ICBC website at least 1 day prior to scheduled payment ICBC Auto Insurance

BC Temporary Rental Supplement (closed)

Eligibility

• Individual tenants (eligible low- and moderate-income renters)

Benefit

• Provides up to $500 per month of rental support; amount is paid directly to landlords

Action Needed

• Application to be completed by both tenant and landlord
• Apply on-line with BC Housing:
  • BC Temporary Rent Supplement

Federal Support for Canadians

• For our summary of the Federal support programs for businesses and individuals, please visit HERE