Taxpayers' Ombudsperson Releases Annual Report on CRA Services

The Taxpayers' Ombudsperson, François Boileau, has released the 2023–2024 annual report titled 'Fair Access to Service.' This report was presented in the House of Commons by Iqra Khalid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue. The report covers the activities of the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson (OTO) from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.

Key highlights from the report include:

• The OTO handled over 4,500 inquiries and received more than 2,800 complaints, marking the highest volume outside the COVID-19 pandemic period.
• Nearly 1,400 complaints were referred to the CRA Service Feedback, and over 500 complaints were prioritized for urgent review by the CRA.

The report also outlines recommendations to the Minister of National Revenue and the Chair of the Board of Management aimed at improving services provided by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). These include harmonizing operating hours across different time zones, defining eligibility criteria for volunteer tax programs, and establishing a permanent grant program for organizations participating in these programs.