Summary of the Corporate Business Plan 2013-2014 to 2015-2016

1 [overview]

[introduction]

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is Canada's tax and benefit administrator: we processed almost $419 billion in taxes and duties last year and issued 111 million benefit and credit payments, totalling approximately $21 billion, for federal, provincial and territorial, and aboriginal governments. We provide services to over 28 million individual and corporate income taxpayers and rely on the collaboration of 1.6 million businesses and employers to deduct income tax at source. Our role is to make it easy for those who want to comply to do so, and to vigorously pursue those who try to evade their obligations as taxpayers and benefit recipients.

During 2011-2012, we:

• answered almost 25 million telephone enquiries through an agent or an automated system;
• processed over 34 million tax payments;
• had 87.4 million visits to our Web site;
• identified $14.1 billion in non-compliance; and
• resolved $40 billion in tax debt.

The CRA is one of the largest government organizations, with over 42,000 employees. Our scope and size means that we play a key role in achieving government objectives and delivering results for Canadians.

This summary of the corporate business plan charts the CRA's priorities over the next three years. The first chapter describes the CRA's Strategic Directions and the areas where we will focus our ongoing efforts to advance these objectives. The following chapters outline our commitment to continue delivering our core activities according to service standards that are meaningful to Canadians. We strive to adhere to efficiency and effectiveness measures that are challenging but achievable within our resource base. We are working to improve our core activities in response to feedback from Canadians, government priorities, and new opportunities offered by technology.

[overview of the CRA's strategic directions]

Our Summary of the Corporate Business Plan 2012-2013 to 2014-2015 introduced the CRA's strategic directions, which will enable the CRA to achieve its Vision 2020, and remain a modern world-class tax administration.

The strategic directions will ensure all aspects of our business evolve to respond to significant changes in our environment: responsive real-time online services that meet growing public expectations; a more integrated and dynamic global economy that requires Canadian businesses to be innovative, nimble and competitive; and more numerous and complex tax schemes that can pose a threat to Canada’s revenue base.

Change also offers opportunities to improve our efficiency, so that taxpayers get the best value for the public money we spend. In 2012-2013, the CRA introduced a range of short- and medium-term initiatives, the transformation agenda, that will allow us to reduce operating costs and better position the CRA for the future.

The transformation agenda is guided by the CRA's strategic directions and includes:

• enhancing electronic services and increasing their uptake by taxpayers and tax professionals;
• making sure our compliance activities are focused on areas of highest revenue risk; and
• modernizing internal operations.

The majority of the transformation agenda initiatives will be fully implemented by the end of 2013-2014.

The CRA is one element of a larger enterprise: the Government of Canada. The CRA's recent participation in spending reduction, the Red Tape Reduction Commission, and the establishment of Shared Services Canada has shown our ability to contribute to government-wide priorities. As we realize our strategic directions, enterprise-wide approaches to improving efficiency and becoming more citizen-focused will remain front and centre in the CRA's plans.

The CRA in 2020 is a modern tax and benefit administration in an environment where compliance with tax laws is recognized as good citizenship. Our advanced technology means that most Canadians deal with their tax matters online, when and how they choose. Our high-calibre, professional staff help taxpayers resolve complex issues in real time. Sophisticated use of data and analytics allow us to take timely and decisive action on non-compliance.

[roadmap for strategic directions]

The CRA's strategic directions are designed to guide decision-making in all aspects of the CRA's business. As we respond to immediate operational challenges or make program improvement and investment choices, our strategic directions will help us ensure we move toward our long-term vision. CRA leadership believes that we also need to set out a roadmap that will make sure our strategic directions are realized and significant progress is made toward specific objectives over the next three years. We have already started this work with our transformation agenda and we need to ensure that the CRA continues to transform in areas of highest priorities. During the period of this plan, 2013 to 2016, management will focus on developing a roadmap that will continue to move the CRA forward in its approach to service, compliance, integrity, and its work with key stakeholders. The specific commitments we make will respond to government priorities at the same time as advancing the strategic directions.

[conclusion]

This summary of the corporate business plan demonstrates the CRA's commitment to deliver a world-class tax administration that is responsive, effective, and trusted. It responds to immediate priorities by setting out an ambitious workplan for 2013-2014 that will see us deliver and improve our core activities, implement our immediate transformation agenda, and contribute to Government of Canada initiatives. It also ensures that the CRA continues to realize its strategic directions and responds to Government of Canada priorities by committing us to developing a roadmap that will drive further transformation across the CRA.

The CRA has a strong record of delivering results for Canadians. Our workforce is the reason for this success. We remain confident that the professionalism and dedication of CRA employees will enable us to continue improving the way Canada's taxes and benefits are administered.

[how to read this plan]

The chapters that follow are based on our main activities as a tax administration:

• Assisting taxpayers;
• Addressing non-compliance;
• Delivering benefits;
• If you disagree; and
• Our corporate foundation.

In each chapter, we provide strategic context on evolving expectations, challenges, and trends relevant to the activity. We will describe the core activities that we will deliver in achieving our mandate, and identify the major improvements that we plan to implement in our core activities over the period of this summary of the corporate business plan. The way we will measure our success is set out at the end of each chapter. Our progress towards the achievement of these activities will be discussed in the CRA's Annual Report to Parliament. This will ensure the transparent and accountable communication of results.

[total planned spending]

(Footnote 1) Since the Taxpayers' Ombudsman operates at arm's length from the CRA, this summary of the corporate business plan does not reflect the activities of that office.

The fluctuations in the budgets are largely due to the fact that certain types of expenditures are included in the current year (2012-2013) and the upcoming Estimates year (2013-2014) but are not yet included in the two outer years. More specifically:

• There is a carryforward of $248M from last year included in the 2012-2013 forecast.
• There is $175M included in the 2012-2013 forecast for maternity and severance payments.
• While there is a statutory provision of $280M in 2012-2013 and $283M in 2013-2014 for disbursements to the provinces under the Softwood Lumber Products Export Charge Act, 2006, we do not have a forecast for future years.

Once these items are accounted for in future years, the remaining variance will be primarily attributable to the gradual implementation of savings measures arising from the Budget 2012 spending review, reaching $196M by 2015-2016.

[overview of 2013-2014 planned spending]

Date modified:

2013-03-28