We will improve services for Canadians living in the North

What you said

You told us that telephone service in the North is not always reliable and that your calls sometimes get dropped when you call the CRA using a landline or cell phone. You said that mail service is slow and that it causes tax returns and supporting documents to be filed late. You also said that making payments is hard because you have limited banking and Internet capabilities.

You also really want to interact with CRA employees who are sensitive to northern realities and knowledgeable about the specific provisions, forms and guides used for the northern residents deductions.

What we will do

• Develop an interim telephone protocol to help northern residents who experience reliability issues with telephone service.
• Partner with outreach representatives to identify opportunities to improve telephone agent knowledge of northern issues, culture, and living in the North.
• Explore routing options that will allow northern callers to connect with CRA telephone agents who are familiar with northern residents issues.
• Examine the issue of slow mail delivery in the northern regions and its impact on taxpayer compliance.
• Explore new payment options for taxpayers in the North that go beyond the telephone banking and cheque mailing services currently available there.
• Also, the Canada Post Corporation (CPC), in collaboration with the CRA, has launched a pilot project which allows Canadians to pay their taxes in cash or by debit card at CPC outlets.