I'm self-employed. At a school I teach at I'm considered parttime employee & pay into EI. I understood that, being self-employed I can't draw on EI. Will I get EI back?

[grrlbreaks]

I understand I can enroll for 'special benefits' for self-employed but I haven't. I just want to know if I'm paying into a programme that i'll never get to draw on. Will I get the EI contributions back at tax time?

[TurboTaxJennifer]

As an employee, you are required to remit EI premiums via payroll deduction. The total you contribute will be used as a credit on your tax return and if you over-contribute, you could receive a partial refund of the premiums.

You can enroll in the EI Special Benefits program for self-employed individuals but it's important to note that you must be registered in the special benefits program for at least a year before applying for EI benefits.

The majority of taxpayers won't ever receive EI benefits but unfortunately, all employees (with a few exceptions) must contribute to the program.