Employment Wage Subsidy scheme(EWSS) was designed to assist employers and employees impacted by the Covid-19 virus, and to encourage companies to keep their workers on the payroll.
The Financial Provisions (Covid-19) (2) Act 2020 (Act No. 8 of 2020) was signed into law on Saturday 1 August 2020. It inserted section 28B into the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020. This provides for the introduction of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS).
EWSS is an economy-wide enterprise support that focuses primarily on business eligibility. The scheme provides a flat-rate subsidy to qualifying employers based on the numbers of eligible employees on the employer’s payroll and gross pay to employees.
The EWSS replaced the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) from 1 September 2020. It is expected to continue until 31 March 2021.
EWSS key features
- Employers must possess valid tax clearance to enter the EWSS and continue to maintain tax clearance for the duration of the scheme.
- A reduced rate of employer’s PRSI of 0.5% is charged on wages paid which are eligible for the subsidy payment.
- Seasonal and new hires are eligible for the EWSS. Claims could have been backdated to 1 July 2020 (subject to limited exceptions).
- Subsidy is based on an employee’s gross weekly wage, including notional pay, before deductions, and excluding non-taxable benefits.
Publication
Revenue has published a list of employers who received payments in 2020 under the EWSS. An updated list will be published at the end of March 2021. This is in line with international practice.
Compliance checks
To ensure that the scheme is operated as intended by the employer, Revenue are undertaking risk based real time compliance checks. We may undertake an assurance check programme at a later stage. Further details on how this future assurance check program will operate will issue prior to commencement.
List of Employers who received payments in 2020 under the EWSS
Revenue has published the name and address of each employer who received payments in 2020 under the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS). This is required by Section 28B(10) of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid 19) Act 2020.
The legislation permits the publication of the name and address of each employer that received EWSS payments. Revenue is obliged to observe taxpayer confidentiality, in accordance with Section 851A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, in relation to all other details, for example, the amounts of subsidy paid.
The names of employers are published in alphabetical order and along with the published addresses reflect the current information held on Revenue’s records. Where the same business received EWSS payments in respect of separate employer registrations, the business is included in the publication in respect of each separate employer registration.
The list is available in three different formats in below link.