Here is a brief overview of the new programs and services that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is offering to individuals in 2007.
My Account is a secure and convenient online service that allows you to view such things as your personal income tax data, your tax refund or account balance owing, the status of your current and previous year tax returns, and your benefit accounts. You can also use this service to:
To use My Account, you have to register for a Government of Canada epass. To register for an epass, visit www.cra.gc.ca/myaccount, and create your own user ID and password. We will then mail you a security code within 5 business days. You will use the code to activate your account, and use your user ID and password to access your account.
This online service allows representatives to authenticate and register themselves with the Represent a client service. After representatives are registered, individuals (e.g., their clients, friends, family members) can authorize their representative either online through My Account or by using Form T1013, Authorizing or Cancelling a Representative.
Business owners can register their business as a representative using their Business Number (BN). Once registered and authorized, representatives can access their clients' tax information to perform transactions and enquiries in an online environment. For more information, see www.cra-arc.gc.ca/representatives.
Taxpayers filing E-text format T1 returns can now send their return to the tax centre that would process their paper return. Previously, all E-text format T1 returns were sent to the Sudbury Tax Centre to be processed.
Service Canada will provide assisted self-serve to CRA services in all of their points of service.
Service Canada employees will help taxpayers find basic tax information and order forms from the Internet or direct taxpayers to the CRA's 1-800 services for more complex or account-specific information. Service Canada will not in any way deal with tax information of Canadian taxpayers, will not respond on behalf of the CRA to specific tax-related enquiries, and will not accept payments on behalf of the CRA.
Over the last few months, CRA offices began phasing in service by appointment at enquiries counters. Since January 2007, all offices have phased out of walk-in service to offer service by appointment only. Taxpayers visiting our enquiries counters will still be able to obtain information through self-serve options, but they will be required to make an appointment by calling our 1-800 telephone lines to see an enquiries agent. Appointment service will enable us to better serve taxpayers, eliminate wait times, and ensure the best available agent is assigned to address taxpayer needs.
In the past, many taxpayers have come to CRA offices to get a printout of their account. Taxpayers can now conveniently view most of this information online through My Account. If they require a copy of their tax information, they can request one by calling our general enquiries lines and the printout will be mailed to them within two business days.
Effective August 1, 2005, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) became responsible for the collections activities previously carried out by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Social Development Canada, now renamed to Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC).
This means that the CRA is now responsible and accountable for collecting debts owed to programs of Human Resources and Social Development Canada, including debts incurred through Canada Student Loans, Employment Insurance, employment programs, the Canada Pension Plan, and Old Age Security.
There will be no disruption to the current channels of service to taxpayers. Taxpayers will continue to use all of the existing ways to contact collections agents, such as published telephone and fax numbers and currently available Web sites.
On July 1, 2006, the GST rate was reduced from 7% to 6% and the HST rate from 15% to 14%.
Starting April 1, 2007, under proposed amendments, the GST Visitors' Rebate Program will be cancelled. For more information, see www.cra.gc.ca/tax/nonresidents/visitors/qa-e.html.
Starting in April 2007, if you are the owner of a rental property and a GST/HST registrant, you will receive statements about your GST/HST account if there is activity on your GST/HST account.
This document is also available for download in .pdf format.