Commentary
The conclusions of the June report released by the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson surprised nobody who has had to deal with the Canada Revenue Agency in the last 10 years. Wait times for calls average over 3.5 hours and it can take weeks before an inquiry gets an answer. This problem was reported in an auditor general’s report in 2017 and, to add insult to injury, it was found that even if a person manages to get through to an agent, they are given incorrect information 30 percent of the time.
In 2021, the Taxpayer’s Ombudsperson recommended the CRA begin allowing call scheduling so people needn’t spend hours on hold. The recommendation was ignored. Now things are coming to a head, and the obstinance on the part of the CRA and the union representing its workers may backfire on them as the Carney government seeks avenues for savings….