The Canada Revenue Agency says it has surpassed its first major call centre improvement goal ahead of schedule, but senior officials acknowledge that significant work remains to fix long-standing service delays.
On September 2, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne gave the CRA 100 days to address call centre backlogs, setting a December 11 deadline. The agency pledged to answer at least 70 per cent of calls by mid-October — a target it exceeded earlier this month. Between September 29 and October 3, CRA call centres handled 77 per cent of incoming calls, up sharply from just 35 per cent in early July.
“We’re happy that we’re on track, but lots more work to be done as we get toward filing season,” said Maxime Guenette, the CRA’s assistant commissioner and chief service officer. He added that improvements will continue “well beyond” the 100-day timeline.
To tackle delays, the agency has extended call centre hours, enhanced its online chatbot, and expanded callback services. Around 850 call centre agents had their contracts extended, and several hundred more were rehired to address high call volumes. The CRA has also hired additional staff to clear a backlog of complaints through its service feedback program.
Despite these gains, the agency says “underlying factors” remain, including backlogs in tax adjustments, credit applications, and inquiries. It is deploying robotic process automation and other tools to speed up processing.
The push to improve services comes as federal departments are under pressure to cut spending by 15 per cent over three years. The Union of Taxation Employees has warned that staffing reductions — nearly 10,000 positions since May 2024, including 3,300 call centre jobs — could undermine the CRA’s ability to maintain service levels.
Union president Marc Brière welcomed the agency’s recent moves but cautioned that without sustained investment in staffing, call centre performance could deteriorate again.
With the 50-day mark now passed, the CRA says it will keep monitoring and adjusting its strategy to ensure improvements hold through the busy tax season.