2015-16 Report on Plans and Priorities
A Message from the Commissioner
"We strive to make it easy for taxpayers who want to pay their taxes, and difficult for those who don’t."
—Andrew Treusch
On behalf of the employees of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), I am pleased to present the 2015-16 Report on Plans and Priorities. This document sets out the CRA's plans and priorities for the next three years and outlines the steps we will take to achieve them.
At the heart all of the CRA's plans and priorities are two underlying goals—to make it easier for the vast majority of taxpayers who want to pay their taxes, and more difficult for the small minority who do not.
How are we making it easier for taxpayers to comply? First, by continuously expanding and improving our suite of innovative online services to provide fast, easy, convenient, and secure options for individual taxpayers and businesses. Over 80 percent of Canadians are choosing to e-file, and we anticipate rapidly growing interest in our new online mail service. Individuals who choose to receive email notifications from the CRA will be prompted to sign into My Account to read new correspondence. In 2015, individuals will be able to receive electronic notices of assessment and, by 2017, 80% of CRA routine correspondence will be available electronically.
Second, we make sure Canadians have ready access to the information they need about taxes or benefits. In addition to providing current and comprehensive information on our website and through our call centres, we are actively working to develop and launch mobile applications for taxpayers. In 2015 we will release a mobile application to enable taxpayers to view basic personal tax information from their mobile devices.
Third, we are modernizing our compliance strategies, beginning with expanded education and outreach activities specifically designed to prevent non-compliance. Our recently launched Liaison Officer Initiative is designed to provide information and in-person support to small businesses at key points as their businesses grow, helping them navigate the tax system and avoid making errors. The CRA is also working to increase engagement with key stakeholders to improve compliance, promote greater co-operation, and reduce errors or misunderstandings. In 2014, we signed an historic agreement with Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada). The CRA-CPA Canada Framework Agreement formalizes an important partnership focused on improving our tax system and better serving Canadian taxpayers.
How are we making it more difficult for those who choose not to comply? The CRA has fully implemented measures from Economic Action Plan 2013 to combat international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance, including our Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) initiative that enables the CRA to monitor every international EFT of $10,000 or more. The CRA's Underground Economy (UE) strategy, which was tabled in Parliament by the Minister of National Revenue in November 2014, will build greater awareness of the widespread consequences of participating in the UE.
We set high standards, and we make sure those standards are met. Canadians trust the CRA to protect their information, and the CRA's Integrity Framework sets out a wide range of measures that make sure the Agency maintains the highest level of integrity and security. We are continuously updating and improving the framework to make sure integrity remains at the forefront of our tax and benefits administration.
Employee engagement continues to be the driving force behind our success. Through initiatives such as BluePrint 2020, we are building a culture of engagement that taps into employee knowledge and experience to bring innovative, citizen-centric approaches to our everyday work. In 2014 and 2015, the CRA was identified as a top employer in the National Capital Region, and also received recognition as a top youth employer in 2014. We are proud of this recognition, the commitment of all of our employees, and our exciting plans for the future.
original signed by
Andrew Treusch
Commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency
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