A federal tip line meant to help the Canada Revenue Agency chase offshore tax cheats has quietly pulled in nearly half a billion dollars, but officials still refuse to say how much they’ve paid out to the informants making the calls.Blacklock's Reporter sayd the CRA confirmed in a Commons filing that since 2018 it has assessed roughly $490 million in extra federal taxes and penalties thanks to information funneled through its Offshore Tax Informant Program. The agency called the confidential tips a crucial tool in its push to crack down on international tax evasion and avoidance.According to records released after a question from Conservative MP Eric Lefebvre, the program has averaged 109 tips a year. Those calls helped flag nearly 950 taxpayers for audits since 2018.Informants are promised between 5% and 15% of whatever taxes are ultimately recovered. But the CRA says it won’t disclose how many payouts have been issued or the amounts involved, arguing that doing so could risk outing sources. It only confirmed that payments have been made..The tip line was created in 2014, and officials warned even then that payouts could take years because bounties are only issued after all taxes are collected and every appeal is exhausted. Ted Cook, a senior tax legislation official at the time, told senators the process would be slow and unpredictable, saying there was no reliable way to estimate how much revenue the program might eventually generate.Despite the money recovered, the agency’s own research shows most Canadians want nothing to do with becoming government informants. A 2022 focus group found people were uneasy with the idea of “snitching,” saying they didn’t want Canada to feel like a “Communist state” or a place where “Big Brother” monitors neighbours. Others worried about being exposed and living with a permanent “snitcher” label.
