Ottawa, Ontario
Canada Revenue Agency
Canadians deserve timely, reliable, and accurate service from the CRA, and that's why we thank the Auditor General and their office for their important work on this report.
In early September, we directed the CRA to implement a 100-day Service Improvement Plan designed to strengthen services, improve access, and reduce delays. It focuses on four key pillars: increasing call centre capacity, expanding online self-service options, tackling the root cause of service issues, and accelerating service modernization.
As we near the midpoint of this plan, we're pleased to announce that this plan has already yielded significant progress. Since September 8, the CRA has extended term contracts and hired more employees. These additional resources are helping the CRA to better meet the demands for assistance and reduce wait times. The goal was to answer 70% of Canadian callers by mid-October; this goal was surpassed in late September, with 77% of Canadians answered when they called the CRA. The CRA has also made it easier for taxpayers to self-serve, eliminating the need for Canadians to call the CRA by implementing various reforms.
While we welcome the important work of the Office of the Auditor General, the CRA also has its own ongoing quality review mechanisms. In 2024, the Agency launched the national Quality Monitoring Program, which independently reviews more than 100,000 call recordings each year to assess the quality of support provided by our service representatives.
This program has already led to significant improvements in the accuracy of taxpayer-specific responses, which make up 80% of all calls. Insights from both the OAG's findings and the CRA's own monitoring will continue to guide updates to training, coaching, and evaluation frameworks.
From April 2024 to March 2025, the CRA received more than 32 million calls-an average of 107,000 per day, with peaks of 300,000+ during tax season and in July. We know we can always do more to provide Canadians with the best possible service, and we remain committed to continuously improving the quality, accuracy, and completeness of the assistance we provide.
The CRA will support Shared Services Canada efforts to strengthen contract management practices to better align with operational needs. This joint effort will reinforce oversight and accountability, ensuring a solid foundation for future projects.
This report will help the CRA build on the significant service improvements it has made since September. It will also help guide us as we work to ensure that the CRA meets the needs of Canadians by the end of the 100-day plan and beyond.
Canada's new government will continue to take decisive action to build a CRA that delivers the service Canadians deserve.
Associated Link
100-day service improvement plan
