Contract #: 46575-194001/001/CY
Produced by Environics
Contract Award Date: 2018-09-25
Report Date: February 2019
Registration Number: POR 052-18
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The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requires data on corporate-wide issues to provide public opinion context for:
Research was designed and conducted with the general public, business decision makers and tax intermediaries to gauge:
QB1. How would you rate the overall performance of the CRA? Please use a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 means “terrible” and 10 means “excellent”.
Base: all respondents
| Poor (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Good (8 to 10) | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business (n=318) | 13% | 48% | 31% | 9% |
| Tax intermediaries (n=303) | 13% | 46% | 37% | 5% |
QB2. Why do you rate the performance of the CRA as [insert rating] out of 10?
Base: all respondents who provided a valid response at QB1
| Good (8 to 10) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Poor (0 to 3) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive mentions (net) | 69% | 21% | - |
| Good/no complaints | 34% | 9% | - |
| Good/timely/efficient service | 16% | 3% | - |
| Helpful/attentive | 8% | 3% | - |
| Professional/knowledgeable | 7% | 3% | - |
| Negative mentions (net) | 12% | 50% | 85% |
| Long phone wait/hard to get right people | 5% | 12% | 15% |
| Slow service | 1% | 7% | 12% |
| Inconsistent responses to questions | 1% | 6% | 15% |
| Audit guidelines confusing/complicated | - | 6% | 9% |
| Changing rules without documentation | 1% | 4% | 10% |
| Neutral mentions (net) | 8% | 18% | 8% |
| They are okay | 1% | 10% | 1% |
QB3. I would now like you to rate the CRA on a series of statements. Please use a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 means completely disagree and 10 means completely agree.
Base: all business respondents (n=318)
| Disagree (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Agree (8 to 10) | DK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treats taxpayer information w/ complete confidentiality | 5% | 23% | 57% | 15% |
| Honest in dealing with taxpayers | 9% | 36% | 46% | 10% |
| Processes business returns in timely manner | 9% | 40% | 45% | 6% |
| Treats taxpayers with respect | 14% | 40% | 40% | 6% |
| Info arrives at right time for business needs | 10% | 47% | 36% | 7% |
| Makes process of filing business taxes easy | 14% | 42% | 36% | 8% |
| Can be trusted to do what is right | 16% | 44% | 33% | 8% |
| Treats taxpayers fairly | 15% | 44% | 32% | 9% |
| Provides enough info for businesses | 13% | 49% | 32% | 7% |
| Works hard helping Canadians w/ tax/benefit matters | 17% | 45% | 29% | 9% |
| Is efficient in its operations | 19% | 45% | 29% | 7% |
| CRA info is easy to understand | 24% | 48% | 25% | 2% |
QB3. I would now like you to rate the CRA on a series of statements. Please use a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 means completely disagree and 10 means completely agree.
Base: all tax intermediary respondents (n=303)
| Disagree (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Agree (8 to 10) | DK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treats taxpayer information w/ complete confidentiality | 7% | 30% | 55% | 7% |
| Honest in dealing with taxpayers | 11% | 35% | 48% | 6% |
| Treats taxpayers with respect | 14% | 35% | 46% | 5% |
| Processes business returns in timely manner | 8% | 43% | 46% | 4% |
| Makes process of filing business taxes easy | 12% | 41% | 45% | 3% |
| Info arrives at right time for business needs | 12% | 41% | 43% | 4% |
| Can be trusted to do what is right | 15% | 39% | 42% | 5% |
| Provides enough info for businesses | 13% | 42% | 42% | 4% |
| Treats taxpayers fairly | 14% | 40% | 41% | 5% |
| Is efficient in its operations | 16% | 39% | 40% | 5% |
| Works hard helping Canadians w/ tax/benefit matters | 16% | 41% | 39% | 4% |
| CRA info is easy to understand | 18% | 42% | 37% | 3% |
QC1. When filing business income taxes, does your business use:
QC2. And what about tax planning? Does your business use…
Base: all business respondents (n=318)
| Tax filing | Tax planning | |
|---|---|---|
| In-house resources | 28% | 33% |
| Outside service | 44% | 34% |
| Combination of in-house and outside services | 25% | 24% |
| Don’t know | 2% | 5% |
QD1. In the last 12 months, have you contacted the CRA, other than for sending in personal or business tax returns?
Business: 20% have contacted CRA in the last 12 months.
Tax intermediaries: 41% have contacted CRA in the last 12 months.
QD2.How did you contact the CRA?
Sub-sample: Those who contacted the CRA in the past 12 months (Business: n=63, Tax intermediary: n=123)
| Business (n=63) | Tax intermediaries (n=123) | |
|---|---|---|
| Telephone | 89% | 81% |
| 8% | 12% | |
| Fax | 2% | 4% |
| Other | 1% | |
| Can't recall | 2% | 2% |
QSM5. Did you have any problems accessing the CRA during your most recent contact by phone?
SUBSAMPLE: Those who contacted the CRA by telephone in the past 12 months (n=56)
QSM6. What problem did you encounter?
SUBSAMPLE: Those who experienced an issue when contacting CRA by telephone (n=19 NOTE VERY SMALL BASE – ACTUAL NUMBERS USED)
| Problem (Top mentions) | Numbers |
|---|---|
| On hold/long wait times | 12 |
| Difficulties contacting right dept. | 4 |
| Had to call multiple times | 3 |
| Incorrect information | 3 |
| Couldn't get through | 2 |
| Other | 6 |
QSM5. Did you have any problems accessing the CRA during your most recent contact by phone?
SUBSAMPLE: Those who contacted the CRA by telephone in the past 12 months (n=100)
QSM6. What problem did you encounter?
SUBSAMPLE: Those who experienced an issue when contacting CRA by telephone (n=52)
| Problem | Percentage |
|---|---|
| On hold/long wait times | 48% |
| Busy signal/No answer | 17% |
| Difficulties contacting right department | 10% |
| Had to call multiple times | 6% |
| Voicemail not returned | 6% |
| Did not get right information | 4% |
| Couldn't get through | 4% |
| Difficulty w/ auto phone system | 4% |
| Network slowdown | 2% |
| Could not find correct number | 2% |
| Other | 10% |
| Nothing | 17% |
QD4. Was the purpose of your MOST RECENT contact to…?
Sub-sample: Those who contacted the CRA in the past 12 months
| Purpose | Business (n=62) | Tax intermediaries (n=120) |
|---|---|---|
| Seek clarification of information sent to you by CRA | 34% | 32% |
| General information | 21% | 34% |
| Seek information about filing business taxes | 21% | 32% |
| Submit CRA-requested documents | 23% | 21% |
| Make a payment owing on business taxes | 18% | 20% |
| Seek info after filing business taxes | 10% | 21% |
| Try to resolve a dispute you had with the CRA | 15% | 17% |
| Some other reason | 5% | 1% |
| Can't recall | 3% | 3% |
QSM7. On a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means “completely dissatisfied” and 10 means “completely satisfied”, how satisfied are you with the amount of time it took to get service during this most recent contact by phone?
SUBSAMPLE: Those who contacted the CRA in the past 12 months by telephone
| Dissatisfied (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Satisfied (8 to 10) | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business (n=56) | 29% | 41% | 30% | |
| Tax intermediaries (n=100) | 24% | 37% | 38% | 1% |
QSM8. Based on the service you received from the CRA during this most recent contact by phone, and using a scale from 0 to 10 where 0 means “not at all knowledgeable” and 10 means “extremely knowledgeable”, how would you rate the level of knowledge of the CRA employee(s) you spoke to?
SUBSAMPLE: Those who contacted the CRA in the past 12 months by telephone
| Not knowledgeable (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Knowledgeable (8 to 10) | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business (n=56) | 13% | 48% | 39% | |
| Tax intermediaries (n=100) | 12% | 44% | 43% | 1% |
QD5. On a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means “completely dissatisfied” and 10 means “completely satisfied”, how satisfied are you with the overall quality of the service you received when you last contacted the CRA by (INSERT RESPONSE FROM D3)?
Sub-sample: Those who contacted the CRA in the past 12 months
| Dissatisfied (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Satisfied (8 to 10) | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business (n=62) | 16% | 37% | 47% | |
| Tax intermediaries (n=120) | 12% | 43% | 45% | 1% |
QD6. Did you get what you needed from the CRA on this particular occasion?
Sub-sample: Those who contacted the CRA in the past 12 months by telephone
| Yes | No | Can't recall | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business (n=56) | 80% | 18% | 2% |
| Tax intermediaries (n=100) | 76% | 21% | 3% |
Q6a. Did you have to call more than once to get what you needed?
SUBSAMPLE: Those who contacted the CRA in the past 12 months by telephone and got what they needed
| Yes | No | Can't recall | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business (n=45) | 38% | 60% | 2% |
| Tax intermediaries (n=76) | 54% | 46% |
QSM9. Following your most recent contact with the CRA by phone, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Please use a scale from 0 to 10 where 0 means “completely disagree” and 10 means “completely agree”.
SUBSAMPLE: Those who contacted the CRA in the past 12 months by telephone (n=56)
I feel like the CRA cared about my unique situation
The CRA made me feel like a valued client
QSM9 Following your most recent contact with the CRA by phone, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Please use a scale from 0 to 10 where 0 means “completely disagree” and 10 means “completely agree”.
SUBSAMPLE: Those who contacted the CRA in the past 12 months by telephone (n=100)
I feel like the CRA cared about my unique situation
The CRA made me feel like a valued client
QSM10. Using a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means “not at all” and 10 means “completely”, to what extent would you say the service you received met your expectations?
Sub-sample: Those who contacted the CRA in the past 12 months by telephone
| Met expectations (8 to 10) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Did not meet expectations (0 to 3) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business (n=56) | 52% | 30% | 18% |
| Tax intermediaries (n=100) | 45% | 33% | 22% |
QSM12. If the CRA needed to send you information, which of the following would you prefer?
Base: all respondents
| Business (n=318) | Tax intermediaries (n=303) | |
|---|---|---|
| Email referral to secure portals | 37% | 42% |
| Traditional paper-based | 53% | 37% |
| Notification on mobile device via CRA app | 3% | 10% |
| No preference | 5% | 9% |
QSM13. Using a scale from 0 to 10 where 0 means “not at all confident” and 10 means “extremely confident”, please state your level of confidence in the CRA in regards to the following statements:
Base: all business respondents (n=318)
| Not confident (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Confident (8 to 10) | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| If I had a disagreement with the CRA, I would be able to get it resolved | 17% | 47% | 27% | 10% |
| The CRA holds itself accountable for the advice it gives | 12% | 39% | 36% | 13% |
| If I had a disagreement with CRA...the process would be conducted fairly. | 19% | 44% | 27% | 10% |
QSM13. Using a scale from 0 to 10 where 0 means “not at all confident” and 10 means “extremely confident”, please state your level of confidence in the CRA in regards to the following statements:
Base: all intermediaries respondents (n=303)
| Not confident (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Confident (8 to 10) | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| If I had a disagreement with the CRA, I would be able to get it resolved | 14% | 41% | 40% | 6% |
| The CRA holds itself accountable for the advice it gives | 12% | 40% | 42% | 6% |
| If I had a disagreement with CRA...the process would be conducted fairly. | 17% | 40% | 38% | 6% |
QSM14. Based on your general impressions of the CRA, whether from your business experience or from what you have seen, read or heard, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
Base: business respondents (n=318)
When contacting CRA by phone, able to receive service in Official Language of choice
CRA assumes taxpayers report taxes accurately unless evidence of the contrary
I feel well informed about the services the CRA has to offer
QSM14. Based on your general impressions of the CRA, whether from your business experience or from what you have seen, read or heard, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
Base: intermediaries respondents (n=303)
When contacting CRA by phone, able to receive service in Official Language of choice
CRA assumes taxpayers report taxes accurately unless evidence of the contrary
I know how to access tax benefits/credits clients are entitiled to
I feel well informed about the services the CRA has to offer
QD7a. Based on your experience, how would you compare CRA’s level of service with the service you might receive from financial institutions with which you currently do business, e.g. banks, credit unions, insurance company.
Base: all respondents
| Business (n=318) | Tax intermediaries (n=303) | |
|---|---|---|
| Better | 9% | 20% |
| Same | 53% | 56% |
| Worse | 31% | 20% |
QD7b. Based on your experience, how would you compare CRA’s level of service with the service you might receive from other federal government agencies and departments you have dealt with.
Base: all respondents
| Business (n=318) | Tax intermediaries (n=303) | |
|---|---|---|
| Better | 11% | 18% |
| Same | 68% | 63% |
| Worse | 8% | 13% |
| Don't know | 13% | 7% |
QD8. And compared to two or three years ago, would you say that the level of service provided by the CRA is better, about the same, or worse?
Base: all respondents
| Business (n=318) | Tax intermediaries (n=303) | |
|---|---|---|
| Better | 15% | 26% |
| Same | 64% | 60% |
| Worse | 9% | 9% |
| Don't know | 12% | 4% |
QE1. In the past 12 months, have you visited the tax pages of the Canada.ca website to search for information on tax-related matters?
Base: all respondents
| Business (n=318) | Tax intermediaries (n=303) | |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 51% | 66% |
| No | 46% | 30% |
| Don't know | 4% | 4% |
QE2. For each of the following statements about the tax pages of the Canada.ca website, please rate your level of agreement using a scale from 0 to 10 where 0 means “completely disagree” and 10 means “completely agree”.
Sub-sample: Those who have visited the tax pages of the Canada.ca website (n=161)
| Disagree (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Agree (8 to 10) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The website provides me with the information I needed | 12% | 53% | 35% |
| It is easy to find the information I'm looking for | 20% | 51% | 29% |
| The information provided on the CRA website is easy to understand | 19% | 54% | 27% |
QE2. For each of the following statements about the tax pages of the Canada.ca website, please rate your level of agreement using a scale from 0 to 10 where 0 means “completely disagree” and 10 means “completely agree”.
Sub-sample: Those who have visited the tax pages of the Canada.ca website (n=200)
| Disagree (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Agree (8 to 10) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The website provides me with the information I needed | 8% | 40% | 53% |
| It is easy to find the information I'm looking for | 11% | 39% | 51% |
| The information provided on the CRA website is easy to understand | 14% | 39% | 48% |
QE3 Are you registered with the CRA’s My Account or My Business Account online service?
Base: all business respondents (n=318)
QE4. For each of the following statements about [INSERT My Account if 01 ONLY in E3 OR My Business Account if 02 or 03 in E3], please indicate whether you agree or disagree, using a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means “completely disagree” and 10 means “completely agree”.
Sub-sample: Businesses registered with either or both portals (n=213)
| Disagree (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Agree (8 to 10) | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I'm confident that [My Account/My Business Account] is a secure online platform | 6% | 24% | 64% | 5% |
| The services provided in [My Account/My Business Account] are relevant to my needs | 6% | 32% | 61% | 1% |
| It is easy to use [My Account/My Business Account] | 7% | 39% | 54% |
QE5 Are you registered with the CRA’s Represent a Client online service?
Base: all intermediary respondents (n=303)
QE6 For each of the following statements about Represent A Client, please indicate whether you agree or disagree, using a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 means “completely disagree” and 10 means “completely agree”.
Sub-sample: Intermediaries registered with Represent a Client (n=137)
| Disagree (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Agree (8 to 10) | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I'm confident that [My Account/My Business Account] is a secure online platform | 1% | 30% | 66% | 3% |
| The services provided in [My Account/My Business Account] are relevant to my needs | 3% | 31% | 64% | 2% |
| It is easy to use [My Account/My Business Account] | 1% | 38% | 58% | 2% |
QSM4 Which of the following online services have you used in the past three years? Please choose all that apply
Base: all respondents
| Business (n=318) | Tax intermediary (n=303) | |
|---|---|---|
| My Account | 49% | 52% |
| GST/HST Netfile | 45% | 52% |
| Electronic payments | 42% | 45% |
| My Business Account | 31% | 36% |
| T4 Internet filing | 24% | 37% |
| Online mail | 24% | 30% |
| Business Registration Online | 13% | 21% |
| Auto-fill | 10% | 15% |
| Attach-a-document | 9% | 14% |
| Represent a Client | 5% | 21% |
| CRA mobile application BizApp | 1% | 6% |
| None of the above | 13% | 4% |
| Can't recall | 9% | 6% |
QF1. “Red tape” is defined as the unnecessary and undue compliance burden – that is, the time and resources spent by a business to demonstrate compliance with the federal government regulations. With respect to your business, please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements.
Base: all business respondents (n=318)
| Disagree (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Agree (8 to 10) | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online services available on tax pages of Canada.ca website make it easy to comply | 8% | 43% | 33% | 16% |
| Information from CRA to help business meet reporting obligation is clear, easy to understand | 12% | 49% | 30% | 8% |
| Over the past year, I have spent less time searching for needed information on reporting obligations | 13% | 44% | 30% | 14% |
| CRA develops new products/services that are in line with realities of doing business | 9% | 40% | 26% | 25% |
| CRA takes business needs into account when developing new products/services | 12% | 44% | 24% | 20% |
QF1. “Red tape” is defined as the unnecessary and undue compliance burden – that is, the time and resources spent by a business to demonstrate compliance with the federal government regulations. With respect to your business, please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements.
Base: all Intermediaries respondents (n=303)
| Disagree (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Agree (8 to 10) | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online services available on tax pages of Canada.ca website make it easy to comply | 8% | 44% | 44% | 4% |
| CRA takes business needs into account when developing new products/services | 10% | 41% | 42% | 8% |
| Information from CRA to help business meet reporting obligation is clear, easy to understand | 9% | 46% | 41% | 4% |
| Over the past year, I have spent less time searching for needed information on reporting obligations | 11% | 43% | 41% | 5% |
| CRA develops new products/services that are in line with realities of doing business | 8% | 44% | 40% | 8% |
QSM1. On a scale of 0 to 10, how burdensome is it for your business to meet its tax filing obligations?
Base: all respondents
| Not burdensome (0 to 3) | Neutral (4 to 7) | Burdensome (8 to 10) | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business (n=318) | 42% | 40% | 15% | 3% |
| Tax intermediaries (n=303) | 29% | 44% | 23% | 5% |
QSM2. Over the past couple of years, do you think the tax filing burden for businesses has…?
Base: all respondents
| Business (n=318) | Tax intermediaries (n=303) | |
|---|---|---|
| Increased | 14% | 20% |
| Staed the same | 68% | 64% |
| Decreased | 7% | 11% |
| Don't know | 11% | 6% |