Principal Issues: Update on the CRA's Dedicated Telephone Service ("DTS") for income tax service providers.
Position: The DTS was introduced in July 2017 in order to 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. Under the DTS pilot project, registration is open to small accounting practitioners in Ontario, Quebec, New-Brunswick and Manitoba. Registrations will continue to be accepted under the pilot project on a first-come, first-served basis until 3,000 participants are registered.
Reasons: Introduction of the DTS will provide those in the business of preparing income tax returns greater access to experienced CRA staff and CRA information to the benefit of the many clients they serve.
APFF FEDERAL TAX ROUNDTABLE 6 OCTOBER 2017
APFF CONFERENCE 2017
Question 18
Telephone service for tax service providers
In the “Report on the Canada Revenue Agency's 2016 ‘Serving You Better’ consultations with small and medium businesses” published in June 2017, the CRA confirmed the implementation of a pilot project for a new specialized telephone service. It stated that this pilot project will allow tax preparers to call qualified CRA employees to help them resolve more complex technical issues (footnote 1).
Question to the CRA
Could the CRA provide an update on this pilot project?
CRA Response
On June 5, 2017, the Income Tax Rulings Directorate staff assigned to the new Dedicated Telephone Service ("DTS") for income tax service providers began receiving calls from 500 participants. The latter accessed the service during a progressive launch of the project. Over the next few weeks, access to the service will be gradually expanded until 3,000 participants are registered. To date, the response from the initial participants is very positive, with telephone access to experienced CRA staff providing them with guidance on more complex technical issues related to income tax.
As part of the pilot project, registration is now available to accountants practising in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and New Brunswick who are sole proprietors, partners or shareholders of accounting firms with up to three partners or shareholders. As of April 2017, the CPA Institute for each of these provinces contacted its members who are eligible for the service and provided them with the necessary information to register and use the new DTS. Enrollment will continue to be accepted as part of the pilot project on a first come, first served basis until 3,000 participants are enrolled in the service.
If the pilot project is successful, the DTS could become available to more income tax service providers on a permanent and national basis.
Although the DTS is intended to be a technical resource for income tax service providers, the service is not a problem solving line for a particular taxpayer. DTS agents therefore do not have access to taxpayers' accounts. It should also be noted that the DTS is not intended for specialized tax professionals whose services are focused on complex tax planning. The latter will continue to channel their tax applications through requests for technical interpretations or advance rulings. Further information on these and other services provided by the directorate is available in Information Circular IC70-6R7, Advance Income Tax Rulings and Technical Interpretations.
To learn more about the DTS, we invite you to visit canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/campaigns/dedicated-telephone-service.
Marie-Claude Routhier
(613) 670-8921
Le 6 octobre 2017
2017-072169
FOOTNOTES
Due to our system requirements, footnotes contained in the original document are reproduced below:
1 Government of Canada, Report on the Canada Revenue Agency's 2016 Serving You Better consultations with small and medium businesses (online at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/campaigns/consultations-small-businesses.html)
2 Government of Canada, IC70-6R7 Advance Income Tax Rulings and Technical Interpretations (online at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/ic70-6r7.html)