Feedback on Information Tour for Tax Professionals: Results of the On-Line Survey

Prepared for the:
Public Affairs Branch
Canada Revenue Agency
FINAL REPORT
March 2008
POR# 197-07
Contract #46558-084072

Prepared by:
Les Etudes de Marché Créatec +

Le rapport complet en français sera fourni sur demande.

To request a full copy of this report, please contact Library and Archives Canada at:
613-996-5115 or 1-866-578-7777 or www.collectionscanada.ca

Media Enquiries:
Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
4th Floor 555 MacKenzie Avenue
Ottawa ON K1A 0L5
media.relations@cra-arc.gc.ca

Executive Summary

Background and Purpose

• This survey was commissioned by the Tax Filer Services Section / Individual Returns and Payments Processing Directorate at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The CRA wanted to consult all third-party registered electronic tax filers (efilers) across the country in order to:
  
  
  • determine how well received, useful and usable the Information Tour for Tax Professionals posted on its Website is; and,
  • collect their suggestions for improvement.
    
    
• A few years ago, the CRA began face-to-face presentations (Electronic Services for Tax Professionals) directly to tax preparers as a means to recruit new electronic T1 filers. The content of these sessions had evolved into information sessions on new CRA services, with a two-part presentation on electronic services for individuals and for businesses.
  
• In an effort to better serve the tax professional community, THE CRA examined the implications of replacing the traditional cross-country information sessions, and began weighing alternatives to focus on a more cost-effective marketing approach. Consultations were held with the industry and positive feedback was received on replacing these in-person e-services sessions with an on-line Information Tour option.
  
  
• As a result, an on-line Information Tour was developed and originally posted on the CRA website in 2006. New content was incorporated by December 2007 (www.efile.cra.gc.ca).
  
  
• This survey was designed to get direct feedback from efilers (registered efilers), to help increase the value and relevance of the on-line Information Tour and determine if the Agency should continue to make it available to them.

Methodology

• An anonymous on-line survey was posted on a secure site between January 14 and February 15, 2008, and an e-mail invitation was successful in reaching 19,197 registered efilers. The invitation included a link where respondents could look at the Information Tour and a link where they could answer the short survey.
  
  
• A total of 5,119 (4,286 in English and 833 in French) surveys were deemed complete, for a response rate of 27%.
  
  
• The survey took 7.5 minutes on average to complete and asked 25 questions (including demographics) that dealt with:
  
  
  • Prior awareness of the Information Tour;
  • Depth of exposure to the Information Tour before answering the survey;
  • Detailed ratings on a series of 13 criteria (clarity of content, usefulness, length, ease of navigation, information quality, etc.);
  • Overall receptivity to the Information Tour;
  • Comments and suggestions on how to improve the Information Tour and make it more complete and more relevant.

Limitations of the Data

• While the response rate for this survey (27%) was significantly higher than what we normally see for on-line surveys (5-15%), only a minority of all those invited participated. Therefore, it is not possible to rule out non-response bias.
  
  
  • Consequently, in spite of the survey technique used, findings may or may not be regarded as statistically representative of the entire target population.
    
    
  • Therefore, this important input from efilers should be interpreted judiciously. In addition, the margin of sampling error based on the total number of respondents (+/- 1.4%) should not be interpreted literally.
    
    
• Nonetheless, the value of the feedback received is increased as the survey was completed by a broad range of efilers whose views were consistent across regions, levels of experience and depth of exposure to the Information Tour.
  
  
• Note also that public opinion surveys are not exact measures of perceptions, but only approximations at a certain point in time, which are subject to change.

Main Findings

• There was broad and diversified participation in the survey in terms of location of professional activities and experience in the tax field.
  
  
  • In addition to the large number of respondents in the sample and the consistency of findings across the regions, this broad and diversified participation added value to the feedback received.
    
    
• Almost all those who responded to the survey were certified efilers (95%) and came from all parts of the country [Footnote 1]. The main locations of respondents were:
  
  
  • Ontario – 38%;
  • B.C – 18%;
  • Québec – 17%; and,
  • Alberta – 11%.
    
    
• Most respondents (70%) reported working in the tax field for at least 10 years and a sizeable number (28%) reported 20 years or more. The average number of years in the tax field was 16.3 years.
  
  
• Overall, the feedback received is one of high receptivity: the Tour received positive ratings from the large majority of the efilers who participated in the survey on all creative as well as content aspects, except one (the Introductory section).
  
  
  • Findings of this on-line survey are consistent with the positive feedback that emerged from earlier consultations THE CRA conducted with the industry on replacing the traditional in-person e-services information sessions with an on-line information tool. After respondents looked at the Tour, the two overall receptivity indicators asked in the survey were highly rated:
    
    
    • 81% of the respondents said that the Tour ‘met’ (77%) or ‘exceeded’ (4%) their needs; and,
      
      
    • 81% said they were ‘very’ (51%) or ‘somewhat’ (30%) likely to take the Tour again next year to find out what’s new.
      
      
• Detailed ratings of quality indicators did not reveal important weaknesses that require immediate attention.
  
  
  
  
  • Detailed ratings above or below the 81% mark received by the two key overall receptivity indicators reveal the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Tour, and help determine which ones may be the best opportunities for improvement.
    
    
  • Overall, the detailed response profile toward the Tour suggests that only fine-tuning, not complete reworking, of the Tour is required if this on-line Presentation is to be improved.
    
    
  • All creative aspects were highly rated and slightly above overall receptivity, which indicates that design features are strengths, especially:
    
    
    • Readability (89% ‘excellent’ or ‘good’, the two top box ratings on the 5-point scale used)
    • Clarity of content (87%)
    • Ease of navigation (86%)
    • Visual quality (85%)
      
      
  • Although well rated, lower ratings of two content aspects may explain why usefulness (71%) was rated slightly below overall receptivity and also suggest how usefulness can be enhanced if the Tour is to be improved:
    
    
    1. The Introductory section (58% -- the lowest rating);
    2. Further information i.e. the supportive links (78% -- the second lowest rating).
       
       
  • A correlation analysis between quality indicators and overall receptivity ratings indicated that improving the ‘Further information’ content is, by far, the best opportunity for improvement.
    
    
• Word-of-mouth plays an important and sometimes critical role in building awareness and interest in products and services. On the Web, word-of-mouth is virtual, albeit "real", also called ‘viral’, and expressed by the ‘email-to-a-friend’ feature.
  
  
  • Findings indicate that only a minority (29%) were aware of the Information Tour before the survey and that only 30% were ‘very’ likely to recommend the Tour link to colleagues, which is well below overall receptivity.
    
    
  • These observations suggest that a highly visible and promoted ‘email-to-a-colleague’ feature is an add-on to consider for increasing awareness and interest in the Tour.
    
    
• Of the 5,119 respondents, 931 (18%) submitted comments (other than "don’t know" or "nothing else to say") to improve the Tour – mainly suggestions related to presentation/layout of content (5%)
  
  
• Of the 5,119 respondents, 878 (17%) mentioned some type of information they would like to be added to the Tour – mainly more explanations to improve clarity (7%) and a better presentation/layout of content (4%).

Footnote

[Footnote 1]

A certified efiler is one who has registered with the CRA in order to get an efile number. To become certified, efilers are screened for suitability first. It is only after they pass the suitability screening (and hence become certified) that their efile number is activated for filing purposes. Efilers must apply for the renewal of their efile account every year and again pass the suitability screening process in order to continue participating in electronic filing.

Date modified:

2008-08-07