Frequently Asked Questions

This problem most often originates in the settings of your web browser or your Internet connection. Try adjusting the Internet Options of your MS Internet Explorer web browser. (This problem does not typically affect Netscape/Firefox users). There are two separate adjustments that can be made, the first of which should correct the problem. If not, attempt the second and try again.

1. Open your browser's Advanced options. (Click the Tools menu and select Internet Options. Click the Advanced tab.)

Find the heading marked HTTP 1.1 Settings, and ensure that HTTP 1.1 protocol is ENABLED (checked) for use with Proxy Servers. (Both items under this heading should be checked.)

While on the Advanced page, make sure the Friendly HTTP Errors and Friendly URL's settings are DISABLED (unchecked). These can unhide additional information helpful in diagnosis and troubleshooting.

Make these adjustments and try to connect again. If this fails to correct the problem, try the second adjustment below.

2. If it is permitted by your administrator, you can bypass proxy servers entirely. This is controlled from the Connections section of the Internet Options screen. (Look under Connections, LAN Settings.) You may wish to contact your Internet service provider or network administrator first to find out if your connection will still work properly with proxies bypassed.

If neither of these steps rectify the situation, you will need to speak with your Internet service provider or network administrator about other network factors outside of our control.

If you need detailed assistance with locating the options noted above or making the adjustments described, contact us. You will need to know your web browser type and version number so we can provide specific instructions for your system.

The weighting of the payroll work experience requirement is determined by the number of hours per week spent completing payroll-oriented tasks. Using the standard 35-hour work week, the number of months spent completing qualifying work experience can be calculated. For example, if you spend 50% of your time (17.5 hours per week) on payroll-oriented tasks and have held the position for 24 months, you would be granted a total of 12 months (17.5 / 35 * 24 = 12). Only a full completed month of experience will be counted (no fractions, decimals or rounding).

If payroll is only one of your functions, you may require more than 2 years in the position to meet the requirement.

Students must submit an official transcript. Grade reports, photocopies, scanned copies and transcripts printed from the institution's website are not accepted.

We will return your official transcript if you indicate this on the Transfer Credit Application and include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your transfer application.

Yes. Your payroll experience must be obtained within 5 years before or 5 years after the start of the Payroll Compliance Legislation course if you are taking courses online or through continuing education. For students taking the PCP courses through a full-time program at a recognized college, university or private career college, the PCP Work Experience requirement timeline begins when you complete the Payroll Fundamentals 2 course.

Although a bonus payment may fall within one of the employee’s pay periods, the regular income tax tables should not be used to determine the amount of income tax owing on the bonus, as this will increase the amount of tax being deducted even more. The pay period tables apply a rate of taxation based on the assumption the employee will be making X amount of dollars for the year, spread over Y number of pay periods. A bonus payment increases the employee’s overall earnings for the year, which increases the rate at which the employee should have been paying income tax since the beginning of the taxation year.

For example, an employee receiving an annual salary of $50,000 per year in addition to a bonus payment of $10,000 will be taxed based on $60,000 per year when they file their personal income tax return at the end of the year. The employee’s income tax deductions each pay period, however, are only calculated based on an annual salary of $50,000. With a bonus payment, the payroll system is required to recalculate the employee’s taxes based on $60,000 and then calculate the difference between the income taxes the employee pays on a regular basis and the employee’s newly revised salary which has been increase by $10,000 for the entire year.

The payment of the bonus often results in the employee being bumped up to a higher income bracket. Both the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Revenu Québec (RQ) require the employer to collect the difference between the pro-rated income tax that the employee regularly pays on an annual pay of $50,000 and the income taxes that would have been paid based on an annual salary of $60,000. This difference is then deducted from the bonus payment.

If an employer pays an employee additional bonuses throughout the year, the income taxes will be recalculated once again to take into consideration the previous bonuses paid to the employee.

To change the format of the candidate application email from Text/HTML to Web Link, log in to your employer account and click on Edit Username and Password. There you will find Select desired format for matched candidates. Make your selection and click the Update button. This will update your account and return you to your account toolbox.

If you are a Professional or Associate Member, you can update your contact information by clicking on the My Profile section of the CPA’s website (member login required).

If you are included under an Organization Membership, you can update only your home contact information online, not your business information. Click on My Profile (member login required).

If you wish to update the business information under an Organization Membership, you must be the Payroll Representative for that membership. Email membership@payroll.ca, and provide us with your CPA number and the revised information.

The CPA provides the CPE Activity Tracking Tool to help you keep track of your completed CPE activities, but it is not mandatory. Using the tool or not, all certification holders must keep a record of their CPE activities, along with documentation to prove completion (where applicable) for at least three years, in the event they are chosen for a CPE compliance audit.

Most activities that you complete through the CPA will be automatically entered into your CPE file as long as you register directly with the Association.

Note: If you participated in a CPA webinar but were not the individual who purchased the session, you will need to log this individually should you wish to track your CPE using the log. When adding in this activity, enter the Provider/Source as “Webinar – CPA.”

You are eligible to send the Payroll Experience Prerequisite Application (PEPA) for assessment once you have obtained your Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) certification. You must submit your completed application with all supporting documentation at least 4 weeks before you intend to start the Introduction to Payroll Management course. You will be advised of the status of your application within 20 business days of the date it is received by the CPA.

The mark breakdown depends on the course and study option as indicated below. Click here for more information on the study options.

No. As payroll requirements vary significantly from country to country, to obtain the PCP certification, you must have at least one year of weighted Canadian work experience in payroll.

It is the employer’s responsibility to issue an amended ROE when additional money is paid. Once received by Service Canada, the employee’s Employment Insurance (EI) claim will be recalculated to determine if it affects their benefit rate or duration. It is the employee’s responsibility to report any money to Service Canada to determine if their entitlement for a particular week of benefits is affected.

A bonus earned prior to the period of the leave of absence should not impact the employee’s EI benefits; however, the employer will often be asked by Service Canada to confirm within which periods of time the bonus was actually earned.

Immediately after you post your job on JobConnect, candidates will be able to view it through the Search Open Positions feature. Candidates will be able to send their resume to you directly if you have opted to display your email address or other contact information.

If you have opted to hide your contact information, candidates will be able to submit their Profile to you using the Apply Online option. This will send a copy of the candidate’s profile or a web link to both the email address you have included in the contact information section of your posting and your inbox on JobConnect. You can review the applications by email or login to your account and review them online.

When candidates apply to your posting, you will able to review their Profile, which contains a simple text version of their resume, job match preferences, cover letter (if submitted) and skills information.

When a profile arrives, JobConnect will match it against the criteria you entered when you posted your job. Candidates that match over 75% of your criteria will be designated as an A-list candidate; all others will be designated as B-list candidates.

Click here to manage your subscriptions with the CPA (member login required).

The CPA conducts random audits of CPE hours to ensure certified members are adhering to the CPE requirement of certification. In the event of an audit, you will be contacted by the Association and asked to provide evidence of CPE fulfilment.

Certification holders are asked to keep a personal record of their CPE activities, along with documentation to prove completion (where applicable) for at least three years, in the event they are chosen for an audit.

You will be sent an acknowledgment email when your Payroll Experience Prerequisite Application (PEPA) is received. You will be advised of the status of your application within 20 business days.

As of January 1, 2013, the minimum pass mark is 65% for all PCP and CPM courses, including challenge exams, started on or after that date. This minimum pass mark applies to courses taken online or through continuing education, as well as through a full-time program at a recognized college, university or private career college.

Courses completed prior to January 1, 2013, do not have to be retaken if a mark of 60% was obtained. However, courses that started on or after January 1, 2013, require both a final overall course mark and a final exam mark of 65%. This policy also applies to all transfer credit courses. 

If you are reinstating your certification, you must obtain a minimum pass mark of 65% on the Payroll Knowledge Evaluator (PKE) assessment you are required to complete as part of the reinstatement process.

If the organization does not have an official job description for the position you would like to submit for the Work Experience Requirement Application (WERA) assessment, you must prepare a detailed job description yourself and submit it to your verifier for approval.

A-list candidates are the candidates that match or exceed 75% of your job posting’s criteria; all others are designated as B-list candidates. Based on the criteria you have entered into your job posting, applications are classified as A-list or B-list candidates.