Full Breakdown
Canada Revenue Agency Faces Scrutiny Over Call Centre Performance
10/23/2025, 12:33:31 AM
Auditor General's Findings on CRA Call Centres
A recent report by Canada’s Auditor General, Karen Hogan, has raised serious concerns regarding the performance of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) call centres. The report, which analyzed calls made between February and May 2025, revealed that the CRA provided accurate responses to only 17% of individual tax inquiries. In contrast, the accuracy for business tax and benefits inquiries was slightly better, at 54%. The report also highlighted that the completeness of responses for business inquiries was just over 30%.
The CRA's ability to answer calls in a timely manner was equally troubling, with only 18% of calls answered within the agency's standard of 15 minutes. The average wait time for callers was reported to be 31 minutes, nearly double that of the previous year. In June 2025, this figure dropped to a mere 5% of calls meeting the service standard.
Background and Context
The CRA has faced ongoing challenges in its call centre operations, which have been exacerbated by budgetary constraints leading to a significant reduction in staff. Following a previous Auditor General report in 2017, the CRA had increased its workforce but saw a drastic cut in personnel by May 2025, with only about 3,500 agents remaining. This reduction has led to a decline in service quality, with complaints about the agency's performance increasing by 145% since 2021-22.
Official Statements & Responses
In response to the Auditor General's findings, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced a 100-day service improvement plan aimed at addressing these issues. The CRA has since rehired approximately 850 call centre agents and is expanding its use of artificial intelligence to improve service efficiency. Melanie Serjak, an assistant CRA commissioner, noted that the agency is already seeing positive results from these efforts.
However, critics argue that the root of the problem lies in the complexity of the Income Tax Act, which has become increasingly convoluted. Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, emphasized that merely hiring more staff will not resolve the underlying issues, advocating for a simplification of the tax code.
Criticism & Opposition
The report has drawn sharp criticism from various stakeholders. Tax-Filer Empowerment Canada, representing tax preparation firms, stated that the CRA has been struggling to meet basic expectations for years, and the current situation is not improving. The report's findings have led to calls for a comprehensive review of the CRA's procedures and training programs, as well as a reassessment of how the agency evaluates its staff performance.
What's Next
As the CRA implements its 100-day plan, there are concerns about its ability to maintain improvements beyond this period, especially with the upcoming tax season expected to increase call volumes. The Taxpayers' Ombudsperson has urged the CRA to address the root causes of taxpayer inquiries to reduce the need for calls in the first place.
The Auditor General's report serves as a critical reminder of the need for the CRA to enhance its service delivery and restore public confidence in its operations. The effectiveness of the CRA's reforms will be closely monitored in the coming months as stakeholders await tangible results.
