Marit Stiles MPP for Davenport

General Information: Help for COVID-19 Costs

• Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program
  
  • Eligible businesses that are required to close or reduce capacity will receive rebate payments for a portion of the property tax and energy costs they incur while subject to these measures. Eligible businesses required to reduce capacity to 50 per cent, such as smaller retail stores, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 50 per cent of their costs, while businesses required to close for indoor activities, such as restaurants and gyms, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 100 per cent of their costs. A full list of eligible business types will be available through a program guide in mid-January 2022.
  • Online applications for this program will open in mid-January 2022. Payments to eligible businesses will be retroactive to December 19, 2021
  • Call 1-866-668-8297 if you have questions
    
    
• Pausing Commercial Evictions
  
  • Temporary stop or reversal of evictions of commercial tenants and protection from being locked out or having their assets seized during COVID-19
  • This applies to businesses that were eligible for the previous Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses program or who have been approved for the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS).
  • More Information 
    
    
• Tax Relief
  • Support to help improve cash flows for Ontario businesses by providing a six-month interest- and penalty-free period to make payments for most provincially administered taxes.
  • Six-month period will begin on January 1, 2022 and end on July 1, 2022. This measure will provide up to $7.5 billion in relief to help approximately 80,000 Ontario businesses. Businesses will have the option to delay their payments for the following provincially administered taxes:
    • Employer Health Tax
    • Beer, Wine & Spirits Taxes
    • Tobacco TaxInsurance Premium Tax
    • Fuel Tax
    • International Fuel Tax Agreement
    • Gas Tax
    • Retail Sales Tax on Insurance Contracts and Benefit Plans
    • Mining Tax
    • Race Tracks Tax
      
      
• Provincial Antigen Screening Program
  • Your business may be eligible for free Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) to be distributed to enhance routine screening measures
  • NOTE: The province is experiencing a high demand for RATs. There may be delays in accessing free RATs through early January
  • More Information
    
    
• Workplace PPE Supplier Directory
  • Find PPE for your business
  • More Information
    
    
• Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit
  • Paid infectious disease emergency leave is available for certain reasons related to COVID-19 including 
    • Going for a COVID-19 test
    • Staying home awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test
    • Being sick with COVID-19
    • Getting individual medical treatment for mental health reasons related to COVID-19
    • Going to get vaccinated
    • Experiencing a side effect from a COVID-19 vaccination
    • Having been advised to self-isolate due to COVID-19 by an employer, medical practitioner or other specified authority
    • Providing care or support to certain relatives for COVID-19 related reasons, such as when they are: 
      • Sick with COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19
      • Self-isolating due to COVID-19 on the advice of a medical practitioner or other specified authority
      • providing care or support to their child who is getting vaccinated against COVID-19 or is experiencing side effects from the vaccine
  • Employers are generally required to pay employees the wages they would have earned had they not taken the leave, up to $200 a day for up to three days
    • Eligible employers are entitled to be reimbursed the amount of infectious disease emergency leave pay that they paid to their employees, up to $200 per employee per day taken.
  • More information
  • Reimbursement Application for Business Owners