Taxpayers’ ombudsperson makes recommendations to Canada Revenue Agency

Canada’s taxpayers’ ombudsperson released its annual report Dec. 16, entitled Adapting and Delivering in Unprecedented Times, which was then tabled in the House of Commons by the Minister of National Revenue. In the report, the ombudsperson, François Boileau provided an overview of the activities taken by his office between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021.

According to the report, the office received a total of 3,533 complaints during the year, answered 183 per cent more calls than it did during the 2019-2020 period and sent 132 per cent more urgent requests to the CRA compared to the previous year. The office says many of the complaints were related to the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) administration of COVID-19 benefits. The majority of the complaints came from those experiencing financial hardship.

“In 2020-2021, the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson received a record number of enquiries, twice the number of complaints, almost two times the calls and double the referrals of compelling issues to the CRA for review,” the ombudsperson’s office said in a statement announcing the release of its annual report.

In addition, the report makes five recommendations to the Minister of National Revenue and to the CRA’s board of management to improve service to Canadians.

First, the ombudsperson recommends the CRA provide a link from its homepage to the ombudsperson’s home page. “These webpages get millions of visitors. Providing a link to our office’s home page will help connect with more Canadians and increase exposure.” 

Similarly, it recommends that the CRA make Canadians aware they can submit a complaint or provide feedback about the service it provides. “Many Canadians, and sometimes even CRA employees, are not aware the CRA has a three-step service complaint process,” they add. The office says if it receives a complaint, it will reach out to the complainant within five business days. “If at any time we determine the issue is causing you financial or emotional hardship, we require the CRA contact you on an urgent basis.” 

Recommendation number three suggests that the CRA create a process to ensure that any unclassified information made available to contact centre agents also be made publicly available.

Finally, recommendations four and five ask the CRA to develop a way for people to securely submit documents electronically without the need to access their CRA account, while at the same time providing Canadians with the opportunity to request a callback without the need to call the contact centre first. They say with in-person counter service no longer being offered and the lack of access most Canadians have to physical drop boxes, “the CRA has an opportunity to reimagine how Canadians provide their documents and other information.”