News release

EI rate decrease delays delivery of 1998 payroll tables

OTTAWA, December 23, 1997...Revenue Canada announced today that employers may not be receiving the printed version of the 1998 payroll tables until the first or second week of January.

As a result of a decrease to the Employment Insurance (EI) rate announced on November 21, 1997, by the Departments of Finance and Human Resources Development, Revenue Canada must now revise all of its payroll tables, as well as all the documentation containing references to the EI rate.

This has resulted in a delay in the printing and distribution of the printed versions of the tables. Electronic versions of the 1998 tables will be available via the Internet and Revenue Canada's electronic bulletin board system by the second week of December.

These tables, which are used by employers in calculating source deductions, like Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan and income tax, are usually sent out before January 1st of each year.

The Department is advising employers who use the paper versions of the tables to continue to make payroll deduction calculations based on the 1997 tables until they receive the new 1998 tables. These employers will have to make the necessary adjustments to the amounts withheld using the old payroll tables to reflect the new tax, CPP and EI rates once they receive the new tables.

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