Service Improvement Request — Minimizing the costs of compliance to access tasks in My Account

Using the CRA’s My Account online service is generally the fastest way for individuals to:

• change their personal information
• register for direct deposit
• make a payment
• apply for benefits
• track the status of their income tax and benefit return
• view mail and uncashed cheques
• review their RRSP deduction limit or TFSA contribution room
• access their proof of income statement, which might be required to:
  • apply for a loan
  • qualify for a benefit or subsidy
  • prove finances

The online service, however, is not fast if users cannot find what they are looking for. Although the CRA is constantly improving My Account, such as the update to the user interface last year, there are still ways it can serve Canadians better.

After reviewing the new and improved My Account interface, we found that locating certain important information is not always straightforward. The issue is further compounded by the fact that My Account does not have a search function. For example, on My Account it is difficult to find where to apply for the Canada child benefit (CCB) and how to get a copy of a proof of income statement.

When we searched for how to apply for the CCB through My Account, we found that the CRA’s web page said to go to “Apply for child benefits.” The CRA says the same in its Factsheet: Indigenous Peoples. However, “Apply for child benefits” is not on the My Account Overview page or the Benefits and credits page.

We discovered that to apply for the CCB, users must first go to their profile and click “Add” a child. Only then can they apply.

As such, the information the CRA provides on its CCB web page about how to apply through My Account is unclear and may create unnecessary frustration.  

Canadians should be able to expect clear information from the CRA, especially when they apply for the CCB. The CCB plays a vital role in supporting Canadian families and reducing child poverty, and more and more Canadians are using My Account to apply every year. 

The CRA’s web page, Get a proof of income statement, says users can get a proof of income statement right away in My Account. However, the CRA does not describe where in My Account they can get a statement. Even after a user signs in to My Account, it is not clear. Previously, a statement was available on My Account's Overview page. Now users have to navigate to the Tax Returns page.

On October 18, 2022, we asked the CRA why it no longer provides a link to the proof of income statement from the Overview page. It responded that it was trying to limit the traffic to the Overview page and that it wanted the statement to be available in a more natural place under the Tax Returns page. The CRA also indicated, however, that since it had made this change, many users were requesting that the statement be made available on the Overview page. Therefore, the CRA stated that it will be making the statement available on the Overview page once again; however, to date this has yet to be done.

We commend the CRA for welcoming feedback, and we support its efforts to make it easier for the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who access this statement every year, to find the proof of income statement. However, the CRA must also update the information on its Get a proof of income statement web page to make sure taxpayers can find the statement easily from within My Account. Specifically, on this web page the CRA should inform Canadians where to find the statement, whether it be on the Overview page, the Tax Returns page, or both.

To make it easier for Canadians to use My Account, the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson requests that the CRA:

1. provide more descriptive information on its web pages that guide Canadians on where they need to go in My Account to complete a task;
2. add a search function to help Canadians find tasks in My Account; and
3. address the feedback it received from users and add a link on the Overview page to the proof of income statement.