Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Comité permanent des comptes publics

For immediate release

Ottawa, May 15, 2017 -

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) did not process income tax objections in a timely manner and had no indicator or target for the time that taxpayers should wait for decisions on their objections, according to a report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts tabled today in the House of Commons by the Hon. Kevin Sorenson, Chair of the Committee.

In the fall of 2016, the OAG released a performance audit whose objective was to determine whether CRA was managing income tax objections in an efficient manner. The audit concluded that the Agency did not do so.

Specifically, the audit found that CRA did not adequately analyze or review decisions on income tax objections and appeals, and there was insufficient sharing of the results of these objections and court decisions within the Agency. Consequently, in this report, the Committee made eight recommendations to ensure that CRA addresses each of the issues identified in the OAG’s audit, and one recommendation that seeks to help the Agency monitor and report its progress towards becoming a more client-focused organization.