Prepared for the:
Public Affairs Branch
Canada Revenue Agency
FINAL REPORT
July 2007
POR# 320-06
Contract #46558750332
Prepared by:
Ekos Research Associates
Le rapport complet en français sera fourni sur demande.
To request a full copy of this report, please contact Library and Archives Canada at:
613-996-5115 or 1-866-578-7777 or www.collectionscanada.ca
Media Enquiries:
Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
4th Floor 555 MacKenzie Avenue
Ottawa ON K1A 0L5
media.relations@cra-arc.gc.ca
Executive Summary
This report constitutes the results and analysis of four proprietary questions that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) added to the fourth and final wave of “Rethinking Government” surveys conducted by EKOS Research Associates in 2006-07.
To conduct this research, EKOS researchers surveyed a group of 1,501 Canadian residents aged 16 years and over from January 30 to February 7, 2007. To ensure a representative sample, weighting was performed by age, gender and region, taking into account the Statistics Canada (SC) data on the general census of the public. The survey includes a sampling margin of error of plus or minus 2.5%, 19 times out of 20.
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
Among the subjects specific to this fourth wave, respondents were asked a number of questions concerning income tax reporting, the CRA's audit process and the Voluntary Disclosures Program.
Tax avoidance and tax evasion are terms used to describe deliberate attempts by Canadians to underreport, or not report, their taxable income. Survey results suggest that this issue is of some concern for the majority of Canadians. Seven in ten (70%) Canadians say they are concerned (26% very and 43% somewhat) that some Canadians do not fully report their income at tax time.
The Voluntary Disclosures Program (VDP) allows Canadians to correct inaccurate or incomplete information that they did not report or fully report in previous dealings with the CRA, without penalty. Rethinking Government results suggest that most Canadians are not aware of this program.
Canadians were also asked about the CRA's audit process. Results indicate that a plurality of Canadians (46%) believe the CRA targets certain income brackets when it is considering an audit. However, there is also a significant proportion (36%) who do not feel the CRA targets income brackets.
