2023–24 Departmental Results Report: At a glance

Key priorities

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) identified 4 priorities for 2023–24, supported by 44 commitments.

1. Deliver seamless client experiences and tailored interactions that are digital first

The CRA met 16 of its 17 commitments for this priority

2. Combat aggressive tax planning and tax evasion

The CRA met 10 of its 11 commitments for this priority

3. Strengthen security and safeguard privacy

The CRA met 5 of its 7 commitments for this priority

4. Nurture a high-performing, diverse, and inclusive workforce in a modern, flexible, and accessible workplace

The CRA met 8 of its 9 commitments for this priority

Highlights

In 2023–24, total actual spending (including internal services) for the CRA was $16,801,930,010 and total full-time equivalent staff (including internal services) was 55,234. For complete information on CRA’s total spending and human resources, read the Spending and human resources section of the full report.

The following provides a summary of the CRA’s achievements in 2023–24 according to its approved Departmental Results Framework. A Departmental Results Framework consists of a department’s core responsibilities, the results it plans to achieve and the performance indicators that measure progress toward these results.

Full time equivalents (FTEs)

Atlantic: 5,007

Quebec: 5,824

Ontario: 12,168

Western: 11,691

Headquarters: 20,544

Core responsibility: tax

• Actual spending for tax: $5,025,663,618
• Actual human resources for tax: 43,866

Departmental results achieved for tax

• Percentage of individual tax returns filed on time – not met
• Percentage of businesses registered for GST/HST – not met
• Percentage of tax liabilities paid on time – met
• Percentage of Canadians who participate in the income tax system – met
• Ratio of collectable tax debt to total net receipts (cash accounting) – not met
• Percentage of external service standards targets that are met – not met
• Service Satisfaction Index – met
• Public Perception Index: Trust – not met

More information about tax can be found in the "Results – what we achieved" section of the full departmental results report.

Core responsibility: benefits

• Actual spending for benefits: $10,514,068,342
• Actual human resources for benefits: 2,658

Departmental results achieved for benefits

• Percentage of Canada child benefit payments issued to recipients on time – met
• Percentage of respondents satisfied with overall benefits experience– not met
• Percentage of taxpayers (benefit recipients) who filed as a result of targeted CRA intervention – met

More information about benefits can be found in the "Results – what we achieved" section of the full departmental results report.

CRA by the numbers in 2023–24

The CRA makes a significant contribution to the Government of Canada. For many Canadians, the main interaction with the government is their tax filing experience. The highlights below illustrate the scope and scale of the CRA's operations and the value it delivers.

We chatted with you more 

• Approximately 19.6 million individual tax, business, and benefit enquiries calls answered using agents and automated services.
• Online Chat: Agents responded to 200,070 chats.

Expanded digital offerings 

• 95% of Canadians filed online.
• SimpleFile by Phone – 1.5 million individuals were invited to automatically complete and file their 2023 tax returns.
• Tax year 2017 was left open to file through EFILE and NETFILE for this year, effectively expanding the number of years available from 6 to 7.
• More than 32.9 million individual income tax and benefit returns were filed in 2023–24, of which 92% were filed electronically. There were also 18.5 million refunds issued, with approximately 78% of them being issued through direct deposit.

Helping businesses through the Liaison Officer Service

• 43,370 businesses and self-employed individuals contacted.
• 450 seminars with 7,514 participants.
• Provided service to 13,075 businesses through one-on-one engagements.

Ensuring fairness

• Uncovered over $95.16 million in unreported income from illicit enterprise which resulted in $43.42 million in additional income tax and related penalties.

Providing redress

Number of Requests received:

• 87,543 objections received which was a 35% increase from last fiscal.
• 1,705 CPP/EI appeals referred to the Minister which was a 14% increase from last fiscal.
• 94,180 taxpayer relief requests received which was a 5% increase from last fiscal.

Number of cases processed:

• 82,764 objections processed which was a 7% increase from last fiscal.
• 1,785 CPP/EI appeals to the Minister processed which was a 26% increase from last fiscal.
• 102,498 taxpayer relief requests processed which was an 11% increase from last fiscal.

Online presence 

• CRA pages received over 260 million visits.
• Over 730,000 social media followers.

Providing benefits and outreach 

• Over 15,000 Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) volunteers helped with more than 850,000 returns^{Footnote 1}.
• Extended the CVITP Grant program to a fourth year with funding up to $5.9 million .
• Nearly $52.7 billion issued in benefits by the CRA.
• Administered 205 federal, provincial, and territorial benefit and credit programs and services.

Our employees also help their communities

• The Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign changed the lives of over 11,000 people by raising over $3.5 million.