Question Period Note: CONTACT CENTRE SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS

Canadians are struggling to reach agents at the CRA and get the information they need to deal with their tax situation. What is being done to improve service and ensure Canadians can reach Contact Centre agents to get their questions answered?

• The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) wants to empower Canadians with the confidence and control they need to manage their taxes and benefits securely, and on their own schedule.

• Lately, reaching a service representative has been more challenging than it should be.

• We know there is more work to do to improve our services so that client expectations can be met. The CRA is implementing a 100-Day Service Improvement Plan, designed to strengthen capacity and improve the overall service experience for Canadians.

• The Plan focuses on four key pillars: increasing contact centre capacity, expanding online self-service options, tackling the root cause of service issues, and accelerating service modernization.

• Every Canadian has the right to reliable, clear, and timely information. The CRA has built a range of self-serve options that are easy to use and available at their fingertips, as we work to better our service delivery.

SUPPLEMENTARY RESPONSE
- The CRA is dedicated to providing secure, high quality service to Canadians.

• The CRA processed a record number of returns during this past filing season, issuing over 30 million notices of assessment and over 13 million refunds.

• As CRA works to deliver service improvements, the feedback that we receive from clients will be vital to ensuring that we are getting it right – whether it be through the CRA’s Service Feedback Program, surveys, or public consultations.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) traditionally has a fluctuating workforce due to annual seasonal hiring for tax season. This means the number of employees can vary significantly throughout the year; growing during the tax season, and receding during the rest of the year.
During the pandemic, the CRA’s traditional hiring practices were adjusted due to the extraordinary need to provide urgent services related to temporary relief programs and their associated funding.

Contact centre funding is returning to pre-pandemic levels. Among other cost saving measures, the CRA has had to ensure that its complement of temporary (or term) contact centre service representatives is scaled down to meet these budget constraints. As such, in May 2025, 1,300 term employees in the contact centres had their contracts end on their pre-determined end of term date of May 16, 2025.

Around 850 term employees had natural end of contracts planned for September 5, 2025. Considering service outcomes, employee well-being, and fiscal responsibility, the CRA extended contracts for these employees.

Service representatives answer more than 29,000 calls a day. When wait times exceed an average of 30 minutes, some calls are redirected to automated services designed to help people faster. Those who get in the queue will have their call answered. However, when a call is redirected, callers will not be offered the option to speak to a service representative. They can choose to self-serve or call again later.
The CRA has taken a number of steps to enhance service.

In February 2025, the CRA implemented multi-factor authentication (MFA) on the Individual Tax and Benefits enquiries lines to simplify and streamline the authentication process for taxpayers. In place of the normal authentication process, taxpayers who have full access to My Account and who have registered a phone number in the portal may opt to receive a one-time passcode (OTP), which they can verbally provide to authenticate themselves.

Starting May 10, 2025, the CRA adjusted contact centre hours of service to focus resources where they are needed most. Service representatives are available Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 8:00pm ET, hours that align with when the vast majority of calls are made. This change allows the CRA to answer more calls during the busiest times.

In August 2025, the CRA launched its “Skip the Line” initiative to empower Canadians to use secure online tools for faster and more convenient service. Through the CRA’s GenAI chatbot and CRA account, individuals can access answers, check benefit payment dates, and update personal information without the need to call the CRA.

The CRA will continue its contact centre modernization process that will introduce a new contact centre platform and help pursue ongoing process and efficiency improvements.

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