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Canada Revenue Agency Snapshot 2009-2010

Agency Overview

Our Mission

To administer tax, benefits, and related programs and to ensure compliance on behalf of governments across Canada, thereby contributing to the ongoing economic and social well-being of Canadians.

Our Vision

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is the model for trusted tax and benefit administration, providing unparalleled service and value to its clients, and offering its employees outstanding career opportunities.

Agency Facts

  • We operate 48 Tax Services Offices and 7 Tax Centres across Canada.
  • We handled more than 17.7 million public enquiries and over 35.6 million
    tax-related visits to the CRA Web site.
  • We processed more than 26.7 million T1 individual returns.
  • We processed more than 1.9 million T2 corporate returns.
  • We processed over 7 million GST/HST returns (excluding Revenu Québec).
  • We issued benefit payments to over 11.4 million individuals and families.
  • We processed over 80,000 annual information returns for registered charities.
  • The CRA has a total workforce of approximately 44,000 employees.

Tax Administration — Revenues for 2009-2010

The CRA administered personal income tax programs for all provinces and territories (except Quebec), and corporate income tax programs for all provinces and territories (except Alberta and Quebec).

  • Total cash received by the CRA of about $358 billion, down 2.3% from last year.
  • Total revenues administered by the CRA of nearly $279 billion, down 2.8% from last year, broken down as follows:

The graphic displays the income tax programs that were administered by the Canada Revenue Agency during the fiscal year 2009-2010.

Benefit Programs

As administrators of benefit and credit programs for federal, provincial, and territorial clients, we must ensure that we correctly determine eligibility for these programs and that payments are made on time.

Benefit Programs

We contribute directly to the economic and social well-being of Canadians by delivering benefits, credits, and services to eligible recipients.

Our Indicators
2008-2009
2009-2010
Percentage of CCTB callers who reach our telephone service (Target 90%)
      94%      
      91.8%      
Percentage of GST/HST credit callers who reach our telephone service (Target 90%)
92.8%
90.7%
Percentage of benefit applications and marital status change forms processed on time (Target 98%)
97.4%
98.8%
Percentage of accurate payments when processing benefit applications and marital status change forms (Target 98%)
99.2%
99.4%

Our Results
2009-2010
Benefit recipients have access to timely and accurate information.
Met
Eligibility determination and payment processing are timely and accurate.
Met
Total spending for this program activity totalled $342 million or 7.8% of the CRA's total expenditures.

Benefit and Credit Payments

In 2009-2010, the CRA administered 96 benefit programs and services on behalf of federal, provincial, and territorial governments.

  • We issued 88.5 million benefit and credit payments totalling over $17.6 billion, broken down as follows:

This pie graph displays the amount of benefit and credit payments administered by the Canada Revenue Agency during the fiscal year 2009-2010.

Tax Services

The tax services activities carried out by the CRA directly touch the lives of over 30 million Canadians, as well as thousands of businesses, trusts, and other organizations. We act on behalf of the Government of Canada and provincial and territorial governments, and certain First Nations, to administer, assess, and collect taxes. The CRA works to ensure that taxpayers meet their obligations and Canada's tax revenue base is protected.

Taxpayer and Business Assistance

We help taxpayers, businesses and registrants meet their obligations under Canada's self-assessment system.

Our Indicators
2008-2009
2009-2010
General calls answered within two minutes of entering the agent queue (Target 80%)
      82%      
      81%      
Business calls answered within two minutes of entering the agent queue (Target 80%)
87%
86%
Charities calls answered within two minutes of entering the queue (Target 80%)
87%
90%
Respond to written requests for GST/HST rulings and interpretations within 45 working days of receipt of request (Target 80%)
93%
94%
Average number of days to issue an income tax technical interpretation to taxpayers (Target 90 days - average)
91 days
89 days
Percentage of excise regulatory reviews completed compared to planned (Target 90%)
91%
92%
Percentage of registered plan audits completed compared to planned (Target 100%)
96%
101%

Our Results
2009-2010
Taxpayers, businesses, and registrants have access to timely and
accurate information.
Met
Non-compliance is detected and addressed.
Met
Total spending for this program activity totalled $531 million or 12% of the CRA's total expenditures.

Assessment of Returns and Payment Processing

We undertake a wide range of activities to assess and process individual and business tax and information returns and payments.

Our Indicators
2008-2009
2009-2010
Processing T1 individual income tax returns (paper) in an average of 4-6 weeks (Target 100%)
     4.0 weeks     
     4.3 weeks     
Processing T1 individual income tax returns (electronic) within an average of 2 weeks (Target 100% )
1.6 weeks
1.6 weeks
Processing T2 corporation income tax returns within 60 days (Target 90%)
90.8%
92.8%
T1 returns received on time processed by mid-June (Target 98%)
99.9%
99.7%
Percentage of individuals who file electronically (Target - upward trend)
55.8%
57.9%
Percentage of corporations who file electronically (Target - upward trend)
21.5%
28.5%
Percentage of T1 returns assessed accurately (Target 98%)
98.9%
99%

Our Results
2009-2010
Assessment and payment processing are timely and accurate.
Met
Total spending for this program activity totalled $691 million or 15.7% of the CRA's total expenditures.

Accounts Receivable and Returns Compliance 

We manage the largest debt collection service in Canada.

Our Indicators
2008-2009
2009-2010
Percentage of intake resolved in the year of intake (Target 60%)
      62.7%      
      54.6%      
Dollar value of TSO production as a percentage of dollar value of TSO intake of new accounts receviable (Target 90%)
93%
95.5%
Dollar value of TSO tax accounts receivable older than five years ($ billion) (Target $2.7)
$2.8
$2.9
TSO cash collections ($ billion) (Target $8.9)
$16.0
$12.4
Non-tax debt - Dollars collected ($ millions) (Target $590.5)
$622.7
$615.3
Non-compliance: T1/T2 non-filers and GST/HST non-registrants ($ billion) (Target $2.4)
$2.4
$2.8
Non-compliance: Employer/payroll/ GST/HST Trust Accounts ($ billion) (Target $1.4)
$2.5
$1.6

Our Results
2009-2010
Tax debt and government programs' (non-tax) debt are resolved on a
timely basis and are within targeted levels.
Mostly Met
Non-compliance is detected and addressed.
Met
Total spending for this program activity totalled $530 million or 12% of the CRA's total expenditures.

Reporting Compliance

We undertake examinations, audits and investigations to ensure compliance with Canada's tax laws.

Our Indicators
2008-2009
2009-2010
Number of files audited as a percentage of estimate: International and large businesses (Target 100%)
     133.4%     
     169%     
Number of files audited as a percentage of estimate: Small and medium-sized enterprises (Target 100%)
136.1%
115%
Financial recoveries as a percentage of estimate: International and large businesses (Target 100%)
116%
133%
Financial recoveries as a percentage of estimate: Small and medium-sized enterprises (Target 100%)
124.7%
141.9%
Processing time for voluntary disclosures (in days) (Target - Downward Trend)
253
196
Results of reviews of individual tax returns: Non-compliance rate (estimated)
16.5%
15.4%
Results of reviews of individual tax returns: Estimated dollars at risk ($ million)
$895
$987

Our Results
2009-2010
Non-compliance is detected and addressed.
Met
Total spending for this program activity totalled $1.1 billion or 24.8% of the CRA's total expenditures.

Appeals

Taxpayers can dispute assessments and determinations.

Our Indicators
2008-2009
2009-2010
Appeals activities that met standards for consistency: Income Tax (Target 97%)
99%
98.6%
Appeals activities that met standards for transparency: Income tax (Target 98%)
      99.5%      
      99.7%     
Workable days to complete case: Income Tax (Target - Various)
157
187
First contact letter for taxpayer disputes acknowledged within 30 days (Target 85%)
68%
50%
Service complaints—acknowledged within 48 hours (Target 90%)
93.8%
97.9%
Service complaints—taxpayers contacted within 15 days (Target 90%)
86.7%
94.5%
Total disputes resolved
66,637
67,441

Our Results
2009-2010
Taxpayers receive an impartial and timely review of contested decisions.
Mostly Met
Service complaints and the taxpayer relief provisions are administered
consistently.
Met
Total spending for this program activity totalled $148 million or 3.3% of the CRA's total expenditures.

For complete performance results, please refer to the Canada Revenue Agency Annual Report to Parliament 2009-2010.

How we serve Canadians

  • Canada Revenue Agency www.cra.gc.ca
  • Businesses and Self-employed Individuals 1-800-959-5525
  • GST/HST credit 1-800-959-1953
  • Individual Income Tax Enquiries 1-800-959-8281
  • Tax Information Phone Service (T.I.P.S.) 1-800-267-6999
  • TTY (Teletypewriter) 1-800-665-0354
  • Charities Client Assistance 1-800-267-2384
  • Universal Child Care Benefit/Canada Child Tax Benefit 1-800-387-1193
  • Telerefund 1-800-959-1956

Date Modified: 2010-11-18

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