Payment and Reporting

Payment and payroll reporting go hand in hand. This page explains how and when to report and pay your premiums—so you can stay on track and avoid penalties.

When you must report and pay

You must report monthly. Your payroll report and payment are due by the 15th business day of the month that follows the reporting period. The reporting period is each month.

Examples

• Payroll report and payment for March is due by the 15th business day in April.
• Payroll report and payment for July is due by the 15th business day in August.

MyAccount makes it easy.

Watch a short video to see how you can easily stay on top of your payments and reporting online through MyAccount.
 

How to report payroll

You must report your payroll even if you have no wages to report or, if no payment is due. If you have no payroll to report, simply enter 0 when reporting. Most employers report payroll and make payment at the same time.

Report your payroll in WCB MyAccount with these steps:

• Sign in to MyAccount
• Select the business number for this payroll entry (for example, NW0003)
• Go to Financials
• In the left menu, choose Payroll Submission
• From Period, select the correct reporting period
• Select Submit to open the entry page
• Enter your Total Assessable Payroll for the period
• Select Calculate Premium to see the amount due
• Select Submit to report your payroll

Learn about other kinds of reports you can make and access on MyAccount.

How to pay your premiums

You can pay your premiums online with the following options:

• CRA’s MyPayment↗️ – Pay directly from your business bank account using Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard. MyAccount will connect you directly with CRA’s MyPayment as well.
• PaySimply↗️ – Pay by credit card or e-transfer through this third-party provider (service fees apply).
• In person at your bank - Print and complete a blank voucher if your bank accepts this form of payment.
• Online banking – Available if you have a business account with a participating bank.

Most major Canadian banks and select credit unions participate in WCB’s online banking payment system, as well as several international and regional banks.

IMPORTANT: When paying your premiums through these services, do not re-enter your total payroll (If you have already entered payroll in MyAccount). Instead, enter 0 under payroll. If you report payroll in MyAccount and on a payment service like CRA or PaySimply, the payroll on your WCB account will be doubled, and in turn so will your premiums show as double the true amount.

What to include in payroll reporting

When you report your payroll, report all assessable wages for the period, based on the pay date—not when work was performed. For June, report everything paid in June and include every June pay date. Assessable payroll is the total gross earnings for all your covered workers, up to the maximum amount set by WCB each year.

Include wages for:

• Full-time, part-time, and casual workers
• Workers hired through a federal or provincial employment program or grant
• Active officers and directors on the payroll of a limited company (if the receive a T4)
• Labour payments made to subcontractors who do not have WCB coverage (do not include payments for materials or HST)
• Workers outside Nova Scotia if:
  • They are not covered by that province’s WCB equivalent
  • You’ve received confirmation they are covered by WCB Nova Scotia

Do not include wages for:

• Proprietors and partners
• Workers excluded under section 9–14 of the Workers’ Compensation General Regulations
• Workers outside Nova Scotia who are already covered by another province’s WCB equivalent
• Active officers and directors who are paid through dividends and do not receive a T4
• Subcontractors who have their own WCB coverage
• Workers on leave: maternity, long term disability, etc.
• Retirement allowance (lump sum severance pay or salary payout)

Optional coverage: You may choose to cover family members of proprietors, partners, or officers who live in the same household. If you include them in your payroll report, they will be covered.

Reporting subcontractors

If a subcontractor works in a mandatory industry and doesn’t have WCB coverage, you must include the labour portion of their wages in your payroll report. In this case, they’re considered your employees, and you’re responsible for paying premiums.

You can’t deduct premiums from their pay—unless they’re registered with WCB but not in good standing. In that case, you’re jointly responsible and may withhold the cost of premiums from their contract.

If the subcontractor works in a non-mandatory industry, you don’t need to report their wages or pay premiums. But they won’t be covered by WCB if they’re injured.

If you later confirm they did have coverage, WCB will adjust your account accordingly.

Dividing payroll for multiple divisions

If your limited company holds more than one WCB policy and officers/admin staff work across them, divide their payroll between the policies they support.

1. Add up the total assessable payroll of the company per relevant pay period
2. Determine each division’s percentage of work (e.g., 60% / 40%)
3. Split the shared staff or officer wages using the same ratio (60% / 40%)
4. Report payroll for each policy to reflect those percentages

Excess wages

Each year, WCB sets a maximum assessable earnings amount. Wages above this annual maximum are not included in your assessable payroll. Once an employee reaches the maximum assessable for the year, you no longer need to report for that worker. If all employees have reached the maximum assessable, you are required to report zero for each reporting period until the end of the year.

Avoid penalties and interest

Penalties apply for late payroll reporting and interest will apply for late payment on past due balances. Report and pay on time to avoid extra costs.

If you’re unsure about your reporting schedule, send us a secure message in MyAccount or call 1-800-870-3331.

Stay on track

• Report and pay by your due date to avoid interest and penalties.
• Keep records of your calculations for your files.
• Review your Statement of Accounts that will be sent via MyAccount or mailed if you’re not on MyAccount. Contact us right away if you don’t agree with the balance or credit.
• Keep payment records for your subcontractors and always ask for a Clearance Letter before they start the work.

Remittance

You will see the word remittance or remit on some CRA and WCB forms. This simply means reporting your payroll and sending your payment.