A recent report by the auditor general has highlighted significant shortcomings in Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) contact centres. The report revealed persistent delays in answering calls promptly, with agents frequently providing incorrect information to customers. Despite the CRA setting a target of responding to 65% of calls within 15 minutes, only 18% met this standard in 2024-25. The situation worsened in June, with less than 5% of calls being answered within the designated timeframe.
The auditor general’s office conducted 167 test calls to the CRA between February and May, revealing an average wait time of nearly 33 minutes to reach an agent. The overall time spent on hold and with an agent to resolve queries averaged around 50 minutes. This aligns with the CRA’s data, which shows a 31-minute average wait time to reach an agent, double the previous year’s duration.
Furthermore, the CRA deflected approximately 8.6 million calls last year, a substantial increase from the 1.4 million deflected calls in the preceding year. Customer complaints about the CRA surged by 145% between 2021-22 and 2024-25, despite the agency reporting a 77% satisfaction rate among callers surveyed.
The report also emphasized the need for the CRA to improve its handling of calls related to issues with the online portal, MyAccount, which often leads to customers being locked out of the system and creating additional strain on agents.
Additionally, the auditor general highlighted concerns regarding the accuracy of information provided by CRA agents. Only 17% of responses to general tax questions were found to be accurate, with similar shortcomings in responses related to benefits and business taxes. The CRA’s chatbot, Charlie, also displayed low accuracy rates, answering basic tax queries correctly only a third of the time.
The report raised issues with the CRA’s contract with IBM for telephony services, noting a lack of real-time updates for callers on their queue position. Despite the AG’s recommendations for improvement, the CRA’s efforts in enhancing accuracy through coaching, feedback, and training were found to be insufficient.
In response to the findings, Liberal MP Wayne Long, the secretary of state for the CRA, mentioned the agency’s 100-day service improvement plan initiated in September. While acknowledging recent staff additions and improved call routing, Long emphasized the need for continued efforts to address the identified shortcomings.
The auditor general’s report also covered performance audits on military recruiting, child care systems, cyber security, and First Nations programs. It highlighted challenges in converting applicants to recruits within the Canadian Armed Forces, issues with military housing, and the government’s progress in meeting commitments related to Indigenous communities and child care programs.