2013-14 Report on Plans and Priorities

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http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/rprts/2013/nar-004-eng.html

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Section IV: Other items of interest

Organizational contact information

Canada Revenue Agency

Appropriate Minister

The Honourable Gail Shea, P.C., M.P., Minister of National Revenue and
Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Institutional head

Andrew Treusch, Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer

Constituent act

Canada Revenue Agency Act, [1999, c. 17]

Year of incorporation/commencement

1999

Mandate

The Canada Revenue Agency is responsible for supporting the administration and enforcement of program legislation; implementing agreements between the Government of Canada and the government of a province, territory, or other public body that performs a government function of government in Canada; implementing agreements or arrangements between the CRA and departments or other agencies of the Government of Canada; and implementing agreements between the Government of Canada and First Nations governments to administer a tax.

Head office

Connaught Building
555 MacKenzie Avenue, 7th Floor
Ottawa ON K1A 0L5
Telephone: 613-957-3688
Fax: 613-952-1547
Web site: www.cra.gc.ca

Organizational structure

Service standards at the CRA

Introduction

External service standards represent the CRA's commitment to the level of service that citizens can expect under normal circumstances. They also reinforce our commitment to transparency, management accountability, and citizen-focused service.

Managing our service standards

The CRA will continue to examine opportunities for introducing new service standards to keep pace with changes, client preferences or expectations, technology and business processes, as well as with our evolving service offerings. Service standards will continue to reflect CRA's enhancements to electronic services. We recognize the importance of client input and are taking steps to ensure taxpayer and benefit recipient perspectives are considered as service standards evolve.

Introduction of new service standards

The two new charities written enquiries service standards will provide taxpayers with a response to routine written enquiries in 30 calendar days or less of receipt and to complex written enquiries in 75 calendar days or less of receipt.

We are introducing two new standards for processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative: one for electronic requests and one for paper. We will assess electronic requests in five business days or less and paper requests within 20 business days.

Priority Service Standard Target
Service for taxpayers

Charities – written enquiries – routine

 Our goal is to review and respond to routine written enquiries in 30 calendar days or less of receipt. 80%

Charities – written enquiries – complex

 Our goal is to review and respond to complex written enquiries in 75calendar days or less of receipt. 80%
Processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative – paper Our goal is to process your complete paper request to authorize or cancel a representative in 20 business days or less of receipt by the CRA provided the request is complete. 90%
Processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative – electronic Our goal is to process your complete electronic request to authorize or cancel a representative in 5 business days or less of receipt by the CRA provided the request is complete. 90%

Revision to existing service standards

We are proposing to change two service standards.

The standard for processing excise tax, excise duty, softwood lumber returns, and air travellers' security charge returns target was in 90 calendar days or less 95% of the time. As a result of our increased efficiency in processing these returns, we are lowering the assessment time from 90 to 60 calendar days.

The current standard for processing T2 corporation income tax returns is an average of the time to process both paper and electronic returns. We have created two separate service standards for processing T2 corporation income tax returns: one for electronic and one for paper. We will assess electronically filed T2 returns in 45 calendar days or less and paper filed T2 returns in 90 calendar days or less. This sets out clearly that the CRA usually takes less time to process electronic returns. This is to encourage T2 filers who are not mandated to file their returns electronically to do so.

Priority Service Standard Target
Service for taxpayers

Processing excise tax, excise duty, softwood lumber returns, and air travellers security charge returns

 Our goal is to assess excise tax, excise duty, softwood lumber returns, and air travellers' security charge returns in 60 calendar days or less of receipt. 95%

Processing T2 corporation income tax returns – electronic

 Our goal is to assess electronic T2 returns (corporation income tax) in 45 calendar days or less. 90%
Processing T2 corporation income tax returns – paper Our goal is to assess paper T2 returns (corporation income tax) in 90 calendar days or less. 90%

Retirement of service standards

The CRA remains committed to developing a service standard portfolio that is relevant to clients and responds to changes in our operating environment. As part of this ongoing review process, we will retire four of our existing service standards.

The service standards for processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative – accuracy – peak and non-peak will be retired. These standards, at 98% accuracy, could be perceived inaccurately by the public as indicating that 2% of the time, the wrong person is given representative access.

We are retiring two service standards for timeliness (peak and non-peak) for processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative. Two new service standards are being introduced for processing paper and electronic requests to authorize or cancel a representative.

Priority Service Standard Target
Service for taxpayers

Processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative – accuracy (peak)

 Our goal is to accurately process your request to authorize or cancel a representative; if necessary, we willsend you a letter requesting additional information. 98%

Processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative – accuracy (non-peak)

 Our goal is to accurately process your request to authorize or cancel a representative; if necessary, we will send you a letter requesting additional information. 98%
Processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative - timeliness (peak) Our goal is to process your request to authorize or cancel a representative during peak tax time (mid–March to mid–July) within 20 business days of receipt by the CRA. 90%
Processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative - timeliness (non-peak) Our goal is to process your request to authorize or cancel a representative received during non-peak tax time, (mid-July to mid-March) within five business days of receipt by the CRA. 90%

Endnotes

Date modified:
2013-03-28