Boileau urges 7 changes for Taxpayers at CRA
Canada's Taxpayers' Ombudsperson released a report on June 16, 2026, saying taxpayers faced service delays, long waits and incomplete information at the Canada Revenue Agency. François Boileau's annual review included seven recommendations aimed at improving CRA service for people trying to deal with accounts, adjustments and collections.
The report, In Pursuit of Better Service: Taxpayers Deserve More, covers April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026. Ryan Turnbull tabled it in the House of Commons on Friday, and the office said it saw a surge in complaints compared with the last three fiscal years.
Boileau Report
Boileau's office said it reduced the biggest backlog of unprocessed complaints it had seen in recent years by managing resources and streamlining operations. The report also said complex T1 adjustments were taking up to 50 weeks, well beyond the CRA's 20-week service standard.
Taxpayers also reported that CRA contact centre agents gave incomplete, inaccurate or unclear information. Some said they could not get through because of excessive wait times or trouble entering the call queue. Others alleged the CRA did not adequately consider their individual circumstances before taking collection action.
CRA Service
The seven recommendations go to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and the Chair of the CRA's Board of Management. One would expand automatic tax filing so all taxpayers in a simple tax situation could access pre-filled tax returns in CRA accounts.
Other recommendations would modernize the Check CRA processing times tool on Canada.ca and improve the Progress tracker in CRA accounts. Boileau also recommended monthly or quarterly public reporting of current processing-time performance against all service standards starting in Fall 2026.
Automatic Filing Plan
The report also calls for a callback option by Fall 2027 that would let taxpayers request a return call without first reaching a contact centre. It further recommends expanding live online chat with a CRA agent to My Business Account and Represent a Client by October 2028.
Two recommendations address the CRA's digital plans more broadly: the agency should make sure its AI strategy meets the needs of vulnerable populations, and it should proactively engage key stakeholders affected by digital changes that alter taxpayer service. For people dealing with the CRA now, the report points to the same pressure points again and again: waiting, getting clear answers and reaching someone before a deadline passes.
