TFEC STATEMENT ON 100-DAY CRA ACTION PLAN

OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 9, 2025 /CNW/ -

"Tax-Filer Empowerment Canada (TFEC) commends the Government of Canada for directing the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to significantly improve its call centre service levels.

Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Secretary of State Wayne Long are right to act: CRA service levels have real consequences on Canadian taxpayers and businesses. Our clients benefit from years of significant private sector investments from the tax preparation and software industry that are bringing safe, reliable, and user-friendly products to the market. They now have the same expectations when dealing with CRA.

Our industry is on the frontline, helping millions of Canadians file their taxes and access the benefits and credits they need and are entitled to. We see firsthand how delays and incorrect information from the CRA negatively affect Canadians.

The CRA and TFEC have built a strong partnership over the years, and it is imperative that we now build further on this partnership to better serve taxpayers. As leaders in helping Canadians file their taxes, we believe our industry must be at the table with the CRA to develop and implement a strategy that meets the federal government's 100-day timeline for improving service levels. Over the years, we have submitted several practical measures to the CRA that can be implemented quickly and at no additional cost for Canadian taxpayers. For example:

1. CRA is now requiring Canadians to register for CRA My Account in order to have tax professionals help them with their taxes and to perform basic functions such as changing their CRA direct deposit. Registration for CRA My Account and resetting locked accounts are unnecessarily onerous, often requiring taxpayers to contact CRA and further driving CRA call volumes. With CRA's cooperation, industry can simplify the registration process for CRA My Account for Canadians while maintaining rigorous security measures.
2. Inform the tax preparation and software industry of tax changes in advance of their publication. Every CRA update triggers a surge of calls that the Agency simply cannot manage on its own. We can help answer clients' questions directly if we are given the proper information in advance, reducing pressure on CRA call centres.
3. Finalize long-standing plans for a data-sharing agreement between the CRA, Statistics Canada, ESDC, TFEC, and the academic research community. This agreement should include information that would allow stakeholders to better understand main call drivers and propose further creative solutions to address them.

We stand ready to meet with officials and appear before the committee to share our expertise and work together to improve CRA services."

About Tax-Filer Empowerment Canada (TFEC)

Tax-Filer Empowerment Canada (TFEC) is a national association that brings together about a dozen of the country's leading tax preparation and software firms. Its members are used by 92% of Canadians to file their taxes, making it a central part of the system. TFEC works with governments while keeping tax preparation independent from tax collection, and it promotes options that are accurate, affordable, and accessible

SOURCE Tax-Filer Empowerment Canada (TFEC)

Dan Pfeffer, [email protected]