The first 60 days

This section identifies decisions that will require your early attention.

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The first month

Proposed briefing schedule

Day 1 suggested activities

Swearing-in ceremony for new ministers / Meet the commissioner
  • Receive pocket book of key messages
  • Office orientation and administrative decisions, including establishing staff and other logistics
Welcome to the Agency
  • Meeting with the commissioner
  • Receive transition briefing material
  • Discuss priorities
  • Discuss briefing plan – overview of proposed plan for the coming week/month

Week 1 suggested activities

Briefing, Introduction to the CRA
  • Presentation of overview deck and discussion with the commissioner
Settling in
  • Email to all CRA staff from the minister
  • Approval of biography and photograph
  • Approval of signature and letter templates
  • Finalizing office logistics
  • Other demands on minister's time (e.g., cabinet business, parliamentary affairs, and constituency office)
Administrative briefings
  • Protection of taxpayer information - Section 241, Income Tax Act
  • Security briefing
  • Question Period preparation
  • Spokesperson training
  • Communications briefing
  • Ministerial authorities and delegations
  • Technical briefing on the expenditure management cycle and CRA budget
Transition briefings

Week 2 suggested activities

  • Corporate and thematic briefings continue, including branch overviews
  • Briefings on important issues
  • Briefings on first 60 days decisions
  • Chair of the Board of Management (briefing/arranged call)
  • Taxpayers' Ombudsperson (briefing/arranged call)
  • Meet and greet with the Corporate Management Committee members
  • Briefing on the litigation forecast

Week 3 suggested activities

  • Agency briefing on the five current ministerial advisory bodies
    1. Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector
    2. Disability Advisory Committee
    3. Independent Advisory Board on Eligibility for Journalism Tax Measures
    4. Offshore Compliance Advisory Committee
    5. Underground Economy Advisory Committee
  • Briefing on ongoing and upcoming audits by the Auditor General of Canada

Key decisions – first 60 days

Key Decisions
Subject Description Timing of decision
Approval of Annual Reports on the Administration of the Access to Information and Privacy Programs The 2020-2021 Annual Report to Parliament on the Administration of the Access to Information Act and the 2020-2021 Annual Report to Parliament on the Administration of the Privacy Act need to be tabled in Parliament. Must be tabled within the first 15 sitting days when the House resumes in the fall
Approval of the 2020-21 Departmental Results Report (DRR) and Supplementary Information Tables, including a message from the minister The DRR presents the CRA's results for 2020-21 relative to its core responsibilities and commitments. Approval is requested in October, in order to submit the documents to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat for the Minister of the Treasury Board to table in Parliament. October 2021
Approval of the 2020-21 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS) Year-End Report The DSDS Report outlines progress the CRA made on its DSDS in 2020-21. Approval is requested in October, in order to table the report in November 2021. October 2021
Approval of qualified recipients for the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) This decision will approve qualified organizations under the CVITP Grant program. October 2021
Approval of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson's Annual Report 2020-21 The Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson (OTO) will require the minister to table its Annual Report 2020-21 once Parliament reconvenes. The report outlines progress against the Ombudsperson's mandate and provides related statistics. End of October 2021
Approval on the Exchange of Common Reporting Standard (CRS) data The CRS was developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to facilitate the automatic exchange of financial information between tax administrations. The CRA is preparing to exchange CRS data with a small number of current exchange partners. End of October 2021
[Redacted] [Redacted] [Redacted]
Endorsement of the recommended approach for the ePayroll project Phase 1 Implementation plan Budget 2021 proposed to develop the first phase of an ePayroll solution through the testing of prototype options for the implementation of a real-time ePayroll solution for the Government of Canada. The Agency will seek approval of a recommended approach for this project. Beginning of November 2021
Decisions on the Membership of the Independent Advisory Board on Eligibility for Journalism Tax The advisory board assesses whether an organization meets the criteria for qualified Canadian journalism designation. Renewal of the current members is required, as well as the appointment of a new member. Mid-November 2021
Mandate Letter for the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson The Minister's approval will be sought on the mandate letter for the Taxpayer's Ombudsperson. This mandate letter covers the period of April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. November 2021
Approval of Access to Information and Privacy Delegation Orders Delegations provide the legal framework under which the Minister of National Revenue can authorize CRA officials to exercise powers and duties on their behalf. New delegation orders are needed for the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. To be confirmed
Decision on the Membership of the Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector (ACCS) The ACCS is co-chaired by the charitable sector and the CRA. It provides recommendations to the Minister of National Revenue and the Commissioner of the CRA on important and emerging issues facing registered charities and other qualified donees on an ongoing basis. New appointments are required as seven ACCS members' terms expired in August, and one additional member ended their term early, for a total of eight vacancies. To be confirmed

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