Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson François Boileau says the CRA's long wait times are a well-known issue and his office is currently monitoring the matter.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Canadians are struggling to reach the Canada Revenue Agency even when calling in the middle of summer, a recent Globe and Mail survey suggests.
Out of 79 taxpayers who responded to a recent online question by The Globe about call-centre wait times at the tax agency, more than one in four said they experienced significant delays or were unable to speak with an agent when calling in July or early August.
Long wait times that extend beyond tax seasons are a well-known issue, Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson François Boileau said. The CRA typically ramps up call-centre staffing ahead of the tax-filing period, but scales back phone support during the less busy months, which can result in delays answering calls even after peak demand has waned, he said.
But persistent reports of call-centre woes are raising questions about whether deeper cuts to the CRA’s work force are leading to worsening service standards, Mr. Boileau said. The agency’s push to rely more heavily on automated and online resources to address taxpayers’ questions is increasing frustration among some consumers, according to The Globe’s survey.
Recent data show call-centre employees have fallen from a COVID-19 pandemic high of 6,704 in the 2021-22 fiscal year to 4,133 as of June.
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Mr. Boileau said it’s too early to tell whether the staff reductions have resulted in poorer service, adding that his office is currently monitoring the matter.
The CRA says it’s trying to alleviate pressure on call centres by making it easier for Canadians to find answers and resolve issues using information provided online and through automated services.
“Understanding when to call and when to use self-serve tools is key to improving everyone’s experience,” CRA spokesperson Nina Ioussoupova said via e-mail.
“Many common inquiries, such as checking refund status, updating personal information or registering for a CRA account, can be done quickly and easily online,” she added.
The agency estimates that 25 per cent of calls could be resolved without speaking to an agent.
Initiatives the CRA has rolled out to empower taxpayers to tackle simpler issues on their own include an online document verification service, a chatbot that uses generative artificial intelligence to address common questions and an online chat that connects taxpayers who have a CRA portal with live agents during business hours.
Mr. Boileau said the agency should improve the quality of the information it provides online to help more people troubleshoot simple issues without calling in for help.
In its latest annual report, Mr. Boileau’s office recommended that the agency run a comprehensive review of its web content on Canada.ca to make sure the information it provides is easy to understand, concise and easy to find.
Several Canadians who responded to The Globe’s survey also flagged issues with CRA interactive services that promise to help answer simple questions.
Many said they were redirected to automated services after they tried to reach CRA agents via the call centre or the live chat, only to be offered information that was irrelevant to their problems.
The CRA said it uses an interactive screening system to direct calls to agents whose training matches the callers’ concerns or route users to its automated system, which allows them to check the status of their tax return, get an estimate of their tax refund amount and order forms for publication, among other services.
Another common complaint is calls being disconnected when the agent who first answered is unable to resolve a complex issue and attempts to transfer the taxpayer to a more senior CRA employee, he said.
“That creates frustration because you have to call back again and you have to wait in line again,” he said.
The Office of the Auditor-General of Canada is currently conducting a review of the agency’s call centres, eight years after it issued a scathing report that found that Canadians faced excessive wait times and were often given unreliable information. The new report is expected later this year.
