Canada Revenue Agency
www.cra.gc.ca
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Taxpayer and Business Assistance
Retirement savings plans (applications to register, amend, or terminate)
Retirement income funds (applications to register, amend, or terminate)
We aim to meet this standard 80% of the time.
Communication of this Standard:
Background: Annually, we process about 5,500 applications to register, amend, or terminate retirement savings plans and retirement income funds. We have had in place a standard of 60 days for this service for a number of years.
Performance: Since 2003-2004, we surpassed our timeliness target to issue written responses on RSP and RIF applications within 60 days. Performance is stable despite a peak in volumes. Volume increased due to ageing inventory resulting from reassignment of staff to other priorities, training, workflow changes, and systems modifications. Of particular note here are resources that were diverted to ensure successful implementation of new products Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSP) and Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) in order to meet the Government’s deadlines.
Complaint and Redress Mechanisms: The Registered Plans Directorate Newsletter 95-2R1 notes that we welcome feedback and provides contact information. Information on who to contact is also available on the CRAs Web site at: www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/rgstrd/nwslttrs/95-2r1-eng.html.
If taxpayers are still dissatisfied with a service provided by the CRA, they have the right to file a formal complaint with CRA – Service Complaints. If taxpayers remain dissatisfied with the CRA – Service Complaints program’s review of their complaint, they will be able to ask the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman to review it, who will provide a final impartial review.
Monitoring: Registered Plans Directorate has a measurement system in place called the Case Tracking System (CTS). Monitoring and reporting against targets is done quarterly and annually for the CRAs Annual Report to Parliament. Self-assessment of monitoring information has been identified as “Good.”
Satisfaction Surveys: No external survey has been conducted since 2006 for this area.
Future Considerations: A new technology system suite is being developed with a scheduled implementation for November 2008. We will combine the service standards once we can determine the new system is stable and efficiency in this service is gained.
