Hello all, 

Great question, I've forwarded this onto the Sage 50 CA support and R&D team for feedback on what Sage 50 CA modifications can be expected. Will update you all with any news. 

Warm Regards, 
Erzsi

Excellent!
I'm currently on hold to speak with a sage representative. Hopefully they can provide some updates.I will post any new information

so there will be an update offered with these requirements, hopefully before the end of the year, if not,  by the new version of 2021. Hope this helps!

so there will be an update offered with these requirements, hopefully before the end of the year, if not,  by the new version of 2021. Hope this helps!

Yes, I received the following 30 minutes ago from the product team who expects the CRA to announce further changes in the next few months:

As a result of government COVID-19 programs, some changes for T4 reporting at the end of the year were expected. In addition to the usual updates in payroll tax tables and payroll forms, the Sage 50 product team was, and is, committed to making changes required for COVID-19 reporting. The Sage 50 team is currently reviewing how these new requirements will be supported.

It is expected that the customers can continue as they have without making changes to their payroll.

In addition to reporting employment income in Box 14, Sage 50 will likely automatically report the income paid in the separate periods as separate codes as is required.

Customers will be expected to update to the latest version (which will be Sage 50 2021.1), to print and report their 2020 T4’s as the functionality for the new codes will likely not be added to the Sage 50 2020.3 tax table update.

Hi Erzsi - please pass along to the product team that they need to research whether the CRA wants the amount EARNED in the period, or PAID in the period.  And what if a company's pay period has the first week in one CRA period and the second week in the subsequent CRA period.  Thank you!

Brenda, the CRA announcement with examples was reasonably clear that this reporting as with all reporting on a T4 form is based on the date paid. This makes it relatively easy to automate as the payroll programs have the amounts required by date paid. IF the reporting was to be based on earnings then it would be a totally manual process.

Also, as stated this reporting is to assist with the audit the of the CERB benefits and amounts received by individuals during the various CERB periods. CERB only worked with amounts received not earned.

Hope this helps

No, I am not a programmer, although I have been in years passed, and I don't want to take away anything from the complexities of the programming at Sage to update Sage 50. They perform a great function. 

HI, Alwyn - I looked at the CRA announcement as well.  It was reasonably clear when have a payroll where the earnings period is before the date actually paid - it was the date paid that was to be used.  But I have a client who pays semi-monthly right up to that date (any adjustments made next pay period) so we have a situation where the pay period ended 15th March (first day for Code 57) but the cheques were cut and issued on Friday 13th.  Am not certain if the gov't wants that paycheque included in Code 57 or not.  The client's business was closed on the 15th as it's a Monday through Saturday operation.  Have you any ideas?

Thanx.

My thoughts are that the reporting in the box is based on the date of the payment. What they are trying to trace is related to CERB. Did the employee receive more than the $1,000 in the Period? Did they report the correct payments received when they applied for CERB? The date of payment is also the trigger for reporting on a T4 when it comes the beginning or end of the year. If the pay date is January 2nd it is report in that year not when earned. I also have an employer who pays on the 15th of the month for the full month, however, in March 2020 the 15th was a Sunday so the payment was made on the 13th paying to the end of March. When I checked with CRA regarding the TWSE they advised that the date of the check is the trigger, not the period being paid. Similar situation here is my take.

This reporting has nothing to do with CEWS which is based on earnings.

Thanx, Alwyn.  That was my thought as well, but it's nice to have it confirmed.  I've done taxes for years so am very aware of the pay period issue as have had too many young'uns who thought that - because they'd quit the job end December - that last cheque they received in January was on the previous year's T4. and got caught by CRA's matching.  T4E's also had that issue.

CEWS, I also agree, is quite a different matter - it's the revenue decrease that counts there but will require extra documentation (Excel is handy).  What CRA is doing is checking to see what people claiming CERB actually made during the payment periods.  However, I note that Code 57 covers periods 1 &2, Code 58 covers periods 3 & 4, Code 59 covers periods 5 & 6, and Code 60 covers period 7.  So this could get interesting for taxpayers who were eligible for CERB in some periods but not in others to prove  their eligibility for the periods in which they collected the $500/week.  I can foresee a lot of demand by employees for a modified Employee Report (detail) showing all the payment dates and amounts.