Time’s Up: CRA’s 100 Day Mandate for Improvement

After years of frustration on the part of tax professionals and taxpayers alike, the Finance Minister ordered the Canada Revenue Agency to clean up its act in 100 days. Specifically, the improvement plan was to run from September 2 through December 11. Finance Minister and Minister of National Revenue, Francoise-Phillippe Champagne instructed CRA to fix “unacceptable wait times and service delays.” Time’s up this week and CRA has released an update on progress. What gets measured, gets done. Let’s see what CRA’s metrics show. 

In some countries, such as the United States, taxation is based on citizenship. In Canada, however, the government levies income taxes based on residency. 

Federal tax returns are required to be filed by all Canadians who have a balance due or file to recover overpaid taxes or refundable tax credits. Provincial taxes for the whole year are based on your province of residence on December 31.

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Economists are calling the New Year’s cliffhanger a step in the right direction. When U.S. President Obama signed the bill that avoided the so-called “fiscal cliff,” it quieted the concerns of many American taxpayers.