ENHANCING CRA CONTACT CENTRE ACCURACY, TRAINING, AND PROFESSIONAL ACCESS (2026)

Issue

The 2025 Auditor General's report exposes CRA contact centre deficiencies, with accuracy rates at 54% for business inquiries and 17% for individuals, plus 31-minute average waits. Accountants report educating reps on tax laws, incurring extra fees for businesses, and note the absence of efficient dedicated lines for professionals. Federal action is essential to implement accreditation, enhanced training, and dedicated services to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and support business competitiveness across Canada.

Background

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) contact centres are vital for businesses seeking reliable tax guidance, yet the 2025 Auditor General's report reveals critical failures impacting operations nationwide.

Accuracy for general inquiries stands at 54% for business tax/benefits and 17% for individual taxes, while account-specific business queries reach 71%.[1] These low rates lead to misinformed decisions, potential penalties, and accountability risks for businesses following inaccurate advice. Timeliness issues exacerbate problems: Only 18% of calls met the 15-minute target in 2024–25 (vs. 65% goal), with 31-minute averages, 12% over 60 minutes, and 7.6 million abandoned calls amid a 30% volume surge to 32 million and 22% agent drop to 4,547.[2] Complaints rose 145% since 2021–22.

Businesses, especially SMEs in diverse regions like British Columbia's resources and Ontario's manufacturing, face amplified costs. Accountants report lengthy calls educating reps on tax laws, billing clients for this time, and delays from lacking efficient dedicated lines for professionals.[3] While the Dedicated Telephone Service (DTS) exists for tax providers, it offers delayed email guidance without immediate or account access, insufficient for urgent needs.[4]

These deficiencies hinder competitiveness: Errors trigger audits/penalties (thousands in costs), delays divert resources, and uncertainty deters investment/growth. Root causes include outdated systems ($190M telephony contract, projected $214M by 2027) and limited coaching (2,200 hours from 130,000 evaluations).¹ CRA's 100-day plan includes AI and standardized training (2-13 weeks initial, plus on-job), but lacks formal accreditation like accountants' annual PD.[5][6][7] CRA disputes accuracy figures (claiming 87-90% internally) but commits to improvements.

The Chamber Recommends

That the Federal Government:

1. Implement the Auditor General's recommendations, including quality evaluations prioritizing accuracy/completeness, staffing alignment to meet the 65% call answer within 15-minute recommendation.
2. Reintroduce a dedicated telephone services for tax professionals to provide immediate support.
3. Introduce and implement an accreditation program with mandatory annual development programs similar to the CPA (Chartered Professional Account) designation for all CRA phone support personnel.
4. Establish accountability measures, such as annual public reporting on performance metrics and protections for taxpayers/businesses acting on CRA advice, to enhance trust and reduce compliance costs.