Poll Results: Canadians Lack Trust with CRA

We asked tax and financial professionals whether they believe Canadians have trust in their tax department, and surprisingly over 75% said no. Do you agree? Check out some of the many interesting comments we received.  

Bruce LaPorte has this opinion:  Canadians do not trust the Tax System, they find it difficult to understand, and complicated to move around in. They feel that if they do their taxes themselves they will either mess them up or miss something they are entitled to so they go to a professional.

Here’s Krystyna Klepinska’s Take:  The “Please stay online, your call is important to us” is well known. The request to be polite , understanding and courteous as they work from home and it may take longer to clear the que is very insulting. I spent several hours within three days period to reach that hard-working CRA “officer” in regards to out of country pensions and found out that they know less than me. I was switched and transferred to so called “specialized” department and my waiting time was always reset to start or I was disconnected entirely. Finally, at 8 PM when no one picked up the phone on the third day I gave up.

Doris Woodman-McMillan offers a counterpoint:  I don’t think CRA can win.  They have to collect tax, which makes them an adversary from the start.  However, they do not win friends by providing differing answers from different agents, being impossible to reach the same person twice, and having challenges with procedures that would drive any sane person batty. 

Overall, I find the people who work for CRA genuinely wanting to help you.  There are bad apples, the same as any organization, but overall they do their best.  The phones, strikes, COVID, have all contributed to negative feelings towards the organization. 

They have improved in some areas.  But there is still room for improvement.  I don’t necessarily trust what they tell me if it doesn’t ring true, so I will double check it myself before I proceed.  I shouldn’t have to do that.

Starting with a positive appreciative attitudes usually brings a decent Canadian-like response. When helping to arrange programs for our founding CAFP, we were shown the Winnipeg Tax Centre, a very efficient coordinated monitored work space.  Impressive for any business.  Advisors should follow fiduciary ethics to encourage fairly honest or honestly fair tax input data.

By Denzil FEINBERG R.F.P. CFP on September 14, 2023

Since early 90.s when I started working in a public practice field, I have seen a dramatic change of attitude amongst my clients - from the attitude “I want to pay my fair share” it is to anger of feeling taken and their money used for purposes they do not agree with.

By Lenka Pelikan

I have no idea what other people think of our tax dept., but I myself don’t trust them at all.  I check everything very carefully, because they DO make mistakes, and the rate at which they do anything is so slow. I am still waiting for a Notice of Objection to be resolved.  I filed it over 18 months ago.

By Cherry Rowlands

I believe Canadians do not have a basic trust in the CRA department.  They do have an aversion to doing (or not doing) anything that would attract the attention of those same people.  Comments I hear are usually along the line of “I hope the CRA doesn’t screw me over with my tax return”.  That does not seem like any innate trust to me. They are generally thought of as a way for the federal government to finance bad decisions and not so much as an organization to be trusted.

By Robert A Litschel

Not at all! CRA is the most frustrating department to deal with, and now that they work from home, kids screaming, dogs barking, bad phone connections and … most of all: my systems are down. ( often when it is close to close time!). Even talking to senior CRA agents, they voice their frustrations. This department needs a complete overhaul by people who know the tax payers!

By Veronique Dewilde

Last word goes to Derek who says:  Trust is earned.  Is there anything more to say? Like others have noted, there is an issue of them being the collection agency for the whims of the politicians, which makes their job more challenging.

Thanks to all those who participate, this month please weigh in on this question:

“In your opinion, is the Climate Action Incentive Payment enough to offset the rising cost of carbon taxes?”