Paying back CERB

[max_boost]

Paying back CERB

Was having a healthy discussion today and a couple friends said the ppl should pay it back and I said they shouldn't have to.

What does Beyond think?

Basically to get it you had to make $5k. Anyone would assume that's gross but CRA a month later said it was net so something like 300-400k ppl took the money over the course of 9 months blah blah


https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/cra-...ions-1.5237566

Times are tough. Could this turn into a major issue where the Libs get hammered?

[ExtraSlow]

I'm with this tax expert. CRA and the liberals fucked up with CERB.
https://financialpost.com/opinion/al...ht-over-income

[killramos]

How many of these 400k people do you really think grossed 5k income but didn’t net 5k income last year?

The fraud runs so much deeper than this.

[The_Rural_Juror]

People should keep it only if they need it. Fucking Ocean ruined it again.

[ercchry]

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How many of these 400k people do you really think grossed 5k income but didn’t net 5k income last year?

The fraud runs so much deeper than this.

The amount of gainfully employed peoples’ bank statements with CERB going into them that I see would make your head spin!

[killramos]

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The amount of gainfully employed peoples’ bank statements with CERB going into them that I see would make your head spin!

Correct

[FraserB]

I’d say let someone challenge it and get a court ruling, then move ahead from there. I’d bet that more than a few of the people saying it was unclear are also the ones running plenty of dubious expenses through their companies. Or just cut the losses on the CERB money for them and audit their company and personal returns going back a few years, could probably make back the overpayments pretty quick

At the same time, find the genuine fraud cases and start setting examples. Full, immediate repayment and assessment of penalties starting from when the payments were first received sounds like a good place to start.

[ExtraSlow]

I only know one person who collected Cerb while working, but then again, he got laid off later, so, it kinda evens out? I'm not mad, he's spending it, so it ends up circulating out there in the economy no matter what his employment situation was.

I'm too simple minded to figure out how to collect that.

[ThePenIsMightier]

If you needed it and qualified, you shouldn't have to pay it back.
If you stole it, you should be forced to pay it back.
(And have your nuts tazed until we can smell burnt hair).

[ZenOps]

Man, so much grey its like an overcast foggy day in the UK.

The abuses are simple for those who weren't employed. Just move some furniture around and charge $5,000 for it, then have neighbor do the same back, or circle jerk it to avoid detection. Was it worth it to bill $5,000 to move a table or sell a painting? Grey is so grey I don't even know what blue looks like anymore.

Haven't rich white people with money been doing this with paintings and wine since the beginning?

I'm highly suspicous of some "fix" jobs this year. Could swear it was working fine, and should be working fine, but mysteriously this year it needed repair crew, of which each mysteriously got $6,000 each, from son of contractor who billed two month all the way to highly trained pro who billed one.

[gwill]

If you didn't net $5000 in income on your side business then did you really need the $20,000 in cerb that you now need to repay? It seems ludicrous that someone who didn't meet the threshold was given 4 times what they made in the last year.

Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for those who barely worked or had next to no income to rake in 20k.

[killramos]

I mean it should be easy as pie to net $5k a year ripping kids off on playstations for Christmas.

Oh wait, no way anyone is claiming that on their income taxes

[dirtsniffer]

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If you didn't net $5000 in income on your side business then did you really need the $20,000 in cerb that you now need to repay? It seems ludicrous that someone who didn't meet the threshold was given 4 times what they made in the last year.

Sounds like a pretty sweet deal for those who barely worked or had next to no income to rake in 20k.

Almost as easy as peddling consoles. You claim that on your taxes?

[danno]

I’d like to see anyone that took it pay it back over “x” amount of years. Just keeping it simple, no free money.

[Proyecto2000]

CRA and EI employees are hella clueless on who qualifies for the new EI and CRB benefits anyways.

I have spoken to 2 government employees this month and asked if I would qualify for any aid and they couldn't tell me if I qualify or not. Both employees told me to just apply, take the money and if I don't qualify than I will have to pay it back at tax time.

Not great advice and I did not want to take a "loan" from the government so I didn't bother to apply. My circumstance is that I lost my contractor position that is 20% of my yearly earnings and my full time employee position earnings have been cut in half. So realistically I have only made 40% of my normal wages.

One of my coworkers who is in the same position has been collecting the "free money" all year long and he hopes to not pay a dime back. Guess will see how he makes out.

personally I hope that everyone who did not qualify is forced to repay the money.

[pheoxs]

I think the net vs gross thing is pretty stupid. If I dropped 200k into my startup and then started getting sales, carry forward some expenses to my second year so still claim no profit / haven't paid myself a salary yet then I'd be not eligible despite the fact that cerb fucked my business and I would've been profitable and getting off the ground this year. As an example.

[gwill]

You guys are hilarious. I got out of selling consoles a long time ago thanks to some self reflection forced upon me by you wankers.

With that said the $5000 limit was such a low bar to set. If someone didn't work more then the 8 hours a week at minimum wage to hit that threshold then did they really need $20,000 in cerb?

[Team_Mclaren]

I think it was intended to assist you if your regular income disappeared because of Covid, not for you to gain more than if you're working.

[max_boost]

I don’t disagree that 5k is very low but just wondering how realistic is it for the govt to actually get this money back. How many of these are Liberal supporters and would change their votes if they are forced to pay it back etc as chances are there will be an election.

[Team_Mclaren]

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I don’t disagree that 5k is very low but just wondering how realistic is it for the govt to actually get this money back. How many of these are Liberal supporters and would change their votes if they are forced to pay it back etc as chances are there will be an election.

Its the CRA chasing your money man, they always gets it back.