No Paper Returns This Year: Only 57% of Canadians Agree

Over 700 respondents voted in the Knowledge Bureau Report Poll last month on whether they agreed with CRA’s policy to stop mass mailing paper tax returns, the largest response to a poll to date and also the one that swung the most from one side of an issue to the other. 

Immediately after releasing the poll, 75% of respondents voted in favor of the policy but as the month progressed and reaction came from professionals, their clients and their families from coast to coast, the gap narrowed significantly to 57% in favor and 43% against.

The reasons on the yes side were in support of a green earth and the savings the government would reap from the reduced paper and postage costs.

Jonathan summed it up nicely as follows: “Makes perfect sense. Those who still want to paper file have plenty of options for getting the forms, including picking them up from a local post office. As for reminders, it’s just one date to remember, and receiving your T-slips should be enough of a reminder that it’s tax time. This decision should eliminate a lot of waste.”

But those on the no side spoke for seniors primarily, those in remote areas and those who were not computer-savvy.

Michael says: “You have to THINK about Seniors, who do not have a computer…..and some of our illiterate citizens….”

Jacob worries about the bewilderment of the over 10 Million people who filed on paper last year: “ I have already come across one senior who prepares her return by paper and had no idea where to get the forms anymore.”

Lenore points to internet accessibility problems in remote areas:  “Big problem out this way and that is the internet is not always reliable; the same as cell phones—no signal. I think the CRA should have sent tax forms to people who paper file still and the elderly.”

Yukon has concerns about the perceived level of sophistication to use and online environment, tax software and electronic filing to get something as important as your tax return right: “I can sure tell that most of these comments are from people in Eastern Canada, or populated areas in Canada. I moved to the north 16 years ago, and the internet only arrived AFTER I moved here. Do you really believe that in less than 16 years everyone in the north has been computer educated? ROFL - This may be Canada, but it’s NOT the same across the board. I have huge problems with people being herded like cattle online. Our outlying communities are at huge disadvantages here.”

Yvonne thinks government could go even farther in their red tape reduction. She notes:  “As a tax preparer I agree with moving towards online services as a way of saving government a few dollars, however when I see how much postage they waste when sending me 60-80 post-assessment letters in 60-80 individually stamped envelopes and they are all mailed on the same day to the same address! They could all be in one 9x11 envelope for a fraction of the cost. If they do this with every tax preparer I cannot even imagine how much money they waste on that type of thing every day!”

Peter thinks out of the box with this comment: “As long as people still have the choice to file a paper return if they insist on it, I am in favour of them stopping the mass mail-outs. It saves paper and it saves taxpayer dollars. But I wonder how long it will be before taxpayers are subject to a $25 penalty for filing a paper return which could have been NETFILED?????”

Penny puts her concerns in point form for us: 

#1 - not everybody has a computer or even if they do they probably won’t know how to download stuff from the Federal site.
#2 - if we order it over the phone will the top part be preprinted like it always has been & with a return label?
#3 - I would imagine with all the people phoning for them it will probably take forever to get thru on the lines.
#4 - not everybody has a post office near them anymore or a way to get there.

Knowledge Bureau wishes to thank the 741 people who participated in this poll from coast to coast. This month’s poll question: Should do-it-yourself tax filers using tax software and NetFiling invest in a relationship with a tax professional? Tell us why!