I am back from holidays now and back to having to deal with the many-headed Hydra that is the CRA.
Over the last few years the CRA has been “rationalizing” its services to cut costs and, supposedly, improve its services. A recent example of these changes is the reduction of services available at the counters at tax services offices. The CRA explains this change as follows:
Over the last decade, the CRA has been investing in more affordable and accessible channels of service, such as the toll-free telephone network and the Internet. We are now able to offer our services by innovative and efficient means that are readily available to all taxpayers, not just those who live close to our offices. By making these service delivery enhancements, the CRA can offer a higher level of service across the country while reducing costs.
Whether these changes have always had such a positive effect is debatable. When you try to speak to an agent nowadays, you might be speaking to somebody half-way across the country, and it will almost never be the same person twice, if you need to call again. My clients often find the advice they get from the CRA confusing and contradictory; these changes will only make the problem worse.
Another one of my concerns relates to filing elections. It appears that it will become impossible to deliver an election by hand to the CRA and have a copy of it stamped as received. The prudent alternative, then, would appear to be registered mail, which means standing in line at the post office instead of at the tax services office. I suppose one government-sponsored line is no worse than another.
