The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) continues to face scrutiny over errors in tax assessments, with recent data revealing that thousands of taxpayers are successfully challenging their assessments.Blacklock's Reporter says in a report tabled in Parliament in response to a query from Conservative MP Dan Albas, the CRA disclosed that it received 120,581 notices of objection this year. By September 1, the agency had processed 11,455 objections, with more than 70%v—va total of 8,170v—vresolved either partially or fully in favor of taxpayers.GST and excise tax objections fared similarly. Of 7,928 objections filed, only 405 had been resolved, with 207 decided in favor of taxpayers.These figures echo findings from a 2016 Auditor General’s report, which highlighted systemic issues within the CRA. The report, authored by then-Auditor General Michael Ferguson, revealed that 65% of tax disputes were resolved in favor of taxpayers. At the time, unresolved objections amounted to $18 billion in disputed claims.“Taxpayers who are not satisfied with their income tax assessments have the right to impartial and timely reviews of their tax returns,” Ferguson wrote in the report, Tax Objections. He criticized the CRA for delays, noting it could take up to 204 days just to assign complex cases to appeals officers.Ferguson also emphasized the need for the CRA to prioritize service over bureaucracy: “The Revenue Agency needs to be built around the citizen, not built around the process. One way or another, everything the government does is intended to serve Canadians.”The CRA is legally required to handle objections “with all due dispatch,” but Ferguson found the agency lacked a clear definition of what constitutes timely resolution. The result, he argued, is a system that often frustrates Canadians rather than serving them.“We see government programs that aren’t designed to help those who have to navigate them,” Ferguson told Parliament. “These recurrent problems create increased frustration for individual citizens.”
