Principal Issues: Update on the CRA's dedicated phone line for tax professionals.
Position: The CRA’s Income Tax Rulings Directorate is introducing a new dedicated telephone service (DTS) for income tax service providers by July of 2017. The DTS will assist people in the business of preparing income tax returns by providing access to experienced CRA staff who can help with more complex technical issues.
Reasons: Introduction of the DTS will provide those in the business of preparing income tax returns greater access to CRA information to the benefit of the many clients they serve.
STEP CRA Roundtable – June 13, 2017
QUESTION 14 – Dedicated Telephone Service
The Income Tax Rulings Directorate recently confirmed at the 2017 CPA-BC & CRA Roundtable the CRA’s plan to introduce a new dedicated telephone service (DTS) for income tax service providers, which was originally announced in Budget 2016. Under a three-year pilot project beginning in July, 2017, the DTS will initially be offered to certain Chartered Professional Accountants in Ontario and Quebec. The DTS is intended to provide participants in the project with access to experienced CRA staff who can help with more complex technical issues.
Can the CRA provide an update on this pilot project?
CRA Response
On June 5, Rulings Officers assigned to the Dedicated Telephone Service began to accept calls from 500 registrants who were provided access under an early “soft” launch of the new service. In the coming weeks, access to the service will be gradually expanded until 3,000 participants are registered under the pilot project. The response to date from initial DTS registrants has been very positive. The DTS participants benefit from having telephone access to experienced staff within the CRA who will provide guidance on more complex technical income tax issues.
Under the DTS pilot project, registration is open to small accounting practitioners in Ontario and Quebec – namely, CPAs who are in public practice as sole proprietors or in groups of up to three professional partners or shareholders. Beginning in April, eligible participants were contacted by CPA Ontario and CPA Quebec with information on how to register to use the CRA’s new dedicated telephone service. Registrations will continue to be accepted under the pilot project on a first-come, first-served basis until 3,000 participants are registered.
If the pilot is successful, the DTS may be expanded nationwide and to more income tax service providers on a permanent basis.
While the DTS is intended to be a technical resource for those who are in the business of preparing income tax returns, the service is not intended to be a problem resolution line for dealing with specific taxpayer issues. Accordingly, DTS officers will not have access to taxpayers’ accounts. Also, the DTS is not intended for specialized tax professionals whose services focus on complex tax planning. These tax advisors should continue to use the advance income tax rulings or technical interpretations services to address their issues. More information about these and the other services provided by the Income Tax Rulings Directorate is available in Information Circular IC70-6R7, Advance Income Tax Rulings and Technical Interpretations, at cra.gc.ca/E/pub/tp/ic70-6r7.
Denise Basso
2017-069737