Having trouble reaching someone at the CRA? The good (and bad) news is you’re not alone.
What happened: Canada’s Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is calling for changes at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) within the next 100 days to address service issues at the agency’s call centres, which face escalating wait times and complaints about automated systems.
- Callers to the CRA have had trouble talking to a real person as they are increasingly routed to chatbots, shown online resources, or given generative AI responses.
Zoom out: The minister's solutions could include adding new employees and expanding filing options, even with the government’s goal of cutting departmental spending by 15% in three years. The agency has shed over 3,000 union jobs since May 2024, and 39% of its call centre workforce since 2021-22.
Yes, but: The Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson François Boileau has said it’s too soon to know if job losses are contributing to the mounting CRA issues. In its defence, the tax agency claims that about 25% of calls can be solved without speaking to someone.
Why it matters: Front-line service delivery organizations like the CRA are a major way Canadians interact with the government. A breakdown in the basic functioning of filing taxes is a real problem and could herald broader challenges for the government’s planned cuts in the coming years.—GS