Foreword

About this report

Service in the Canada Revenue Agency

Improving our service delivery to Canadians has been an important goal of the Agency since its creation in 1999. The CRA has been recognized by the Treasury Board Secretariat for its innovations in citizen-focused service delivery and its work on service standards. For the Board of Management, services represent an essential element of its oversight responsibilities.

In 2006-2007, the Agency demonstrated its continuing commitment to delivering good service by announcing three new initiatives — the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, CRA – Service Complaints, and the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman. In particular, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights contains two commitments that relate to service standards: taxpayers have the right to complete, accurate, clear, and timely information, and the right to expect the Agency to publish its service standards and report annually.

Why are service standards important?

Our standards of service provide Canadians with a commitment to the level of service that they can reasonably expect to receive under normal circumstances and reflect the Agency’s efforts to improve taxpayers’ and benefit recipients’ satisfaction with its services. In communicating these service standards to the public, the CRA demonstrates its commitment to transparent management, accountability for results, and citizen-centred service delivery.

Service standards not only improve service to individuals and businesses, but also serve to facilitate compliance with Canada’s tax and benefits legislation. The CRA’s ability to provide information in a timely, predictable way alleviates frustration that can lead to error or delay decisions. It has long been our approach that by facilitating compliance, we enhance it.

How are service standards integrated into CRA’s results management framework?

Service standards have been integrated into the key pieces of our results based management framework: the Corporate Business Plan, quarterly Performance Reports, the Annual Report to Parliament, and the Executive Cadre Performance Agreement Regime.