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Results: 1 - 15 of 172
View Jean Yip Profile
Lib. (ON)
Looking at the 273 full-time employees working on the delinquent filer compliance, I see that there was a return on investment of more than 100:1. That was fantastic.
What has happened to those 273 full-time employees? Is this program still being maintained? Will this group continue to work on compliance once the wage subsidy programs are over?
Bob Hamilton
View Bob Hamilton Profile
Bob Hamilton
2021-06-08 12:10
Yes, and I'll leave a bit of space if Mr. Gallivan wants to add.
That program is an ongoing program that looks at delinquent filers to understand why they didn't file and tries to work with them to get them to file. It has had a fairly sizable return, so we have no thought of discontinuing that program. It will continue beyond the pandemic.
In fact, part of our response to the Auditor General's report is to look at that program to see if we're doing it as efficiently as possible and if there is room within our risk assessment to do it in a better way. Sometimes you can get high returns initially when you start something like that, but of course those returns diminish as you take care of some of the easy cases and move on to the more difficult ones.
However, we are in the process of making sure that the program is as effective as it can be going forward.
Mathieu Robitaille
View Mathieu Robitaille Profile
Mathieu Robitaille
2021-05-13 11:46
No, you aren't mistaken.
I think that's part of the solution.
I'm going to describe a situation that I experienced with the Canada Revenue Agency.
We're involved in the community volunteer tax program. A CRA employee called to tell me about the situation of a senior who was trying to file his tax returns for the previous 10 years. According to the calculations, the man owed $10,000. However, he didn't know how to go about filing. So I was asked if we could help him, and I answered that we could. In the end, we managed to reduce the amount from $10,000 to $5,000.
View Matthew Green Profile
NDP (ON)
I don't want to get too stuck on the process. Through you, Madam Chair, I want to get to the outcomes.
Is it ever the case.... In Hamilton, for instance, we help thousands of people process their taxes through our constituency office in a voluntary tax program. Has there been any analysis or policy discussion around what automatic tax filing for fixed-income people might do in terms of unlocking this?
I can share with you that in Hamilton there's an estimated $30 million a year that goes unclaimed in social service supports, including Ontario Works, ODSP, and a whole host of others.
When I think about programs like GIS, OAS and of course the child tax benefit, I'm wondering if there have been any policy discussions on what automated tax filings for fixed-income folks might look like to help streamline this critical support for people.
Bob Hamilton
View Bob Hamilton Profile
Bob Hamilton
2021-05-04 11:39
Madam Chair, I'll take a stab at that.
It is an ongoing area that we're looking at. Indeed, in the Speech from the Throne, there was a reference to automated tax filing to make it easier for people to get their benefits.
We have a few mechanisms in place that help on this front. I think you mentioned the community volunteer income tax program, the CVITP, which helps people fill out their tax return, and, if eligible, to receive benefits. We also have File my Return, which is a phone-based system.
We are looking at other options, including automated filing, to see how that could help in this area to make sure people are aware and are filing so that they are eligible for their benefits.
We have a few things in place, but that issue of automated filing is one that we're looking at.
View Matthew Green Profile
NDP (ON)
Madam Chair, I always appreciate your gentle hand in guiding the conversation on to the next round.
I have some real concerns about the tax filing dates and the reports we're hearing from accountants and from the voluntary tax clinics across the country.
Last year, when the tax filing deadline was extended, did you notice an impact on people receiving the CCB payments? Acknowledging that there is no extension in the foreseeable future for this extended period, do you consider that to also be a disruption in the delivery of this program?
Bob Hamilton
View Bob Hamilton Profile
Bob Hamilton
2021-05-04 11:55
Madam Chair, I'll take that question.
In fact, as you referenced, one of the reasons that we like to have the filing deadline as early as possible is to give us some time to review and assess the benefits that are due to be paid before the start of the new benefit year in July.
We now have the filings in, and we're in that process. We think that gives us the maximum chance to make sure that people get the benefits they're eligible for, rather than have them discontinued for a period of time while we go forward.
I think that last year—
View Matthew Green Profile
NDP (ON)
Just to be clear on that point, through you, Madam Chair—I only have two and a half minutes—we used to do a voluntary tax clinic. Our office processed up to 5,000 tax applications a year. This year we're only going to do about 1,500. I'm going to presume that there are tens of thousands of Canadians, if not hundreds of thousands, who are not going to get their tax filings in on time.
Have you seen a decrease in applications compared to previous years, or are you suggesting that we're on par with like numbers this year to date?
Bob Hamilton
View Bob Hamilton Profile
Bob Hamilton
2021-05-04 11:56
Madam Chair, I'll provide a general response to that, but maybe my colleague Mr. Vermaeten will have more precise numbers.
I would say that overall we see roughly the same number of tax filings as we would in a normal year at this time. I'll maybe look to Frank to confirm that, but.... We were behind for a little while.
View Corey Tochor Profile
CPC (SK)
Another area of my concern for families is that, unfortunately, with the divorce rates and the breakdown of families, couples are terrible to each other during that time period. If one member fails to file their income tax, am I correct from reading the report that the actual payment doesn't get processed?
Martin Dompierre
View Martin Dompierre Profile
Martin Dompierre
2021-05-04 12:01
Madam Chair, I could take part of that question.
It is as you referred to in the report. We indicate that either one or both would need to file their tax return in order for these payments to be made.
View Francesco Sorbara Profile
Lib. (ON)
Absolutely.
I'd prefer having those hard-working call centre agents, whom I met when I was in Winnipeg as the parliamentary secretary and saw what they were doing, helping folks more directly in terms of front-counter service, if I can use that term, rather than just processing the mail-in applications, which they do in a very efficient manner.
Lastly, relating to that, we know that more than about 12% of Canadians do not file their taxes. In Ontario, the number I've seen is around 15%. They tend to be our most vulnerable in society.
The only way a family or an individual with a child can collect the CCB is if they file their taxes. With the time we have, can we briefly touch upon the progress made in ensuring that eligible Canadians and family members receive the CCB?
Bob Hamilton
View Bob Hamilton Profile
Bob Hamilton
2021-05-04 12:07
As we discussed earlier, as a component of this, we have a concern about the number of people who don't file and would be eligible for benefits. That's part of a bigger issue for us. We want to see people filing wherever possible, but it's a particular case for people who are not filing, because by not doing that, they become ineligible for the benefits.
We've had a push and talked about a few of the elements. There's obviously the community volunteer income tax program, which provides a trustful place where people can have their forms done. We do a lot of outreach all across the agency. Across the country, we have groups going out to talk to vulnerable populations and to increase awareness.
I think the final thing we need to do is make it as easy as possible for people to do it. In some cases, maybe that means simplifying a form or making our website easier to navigate.
Those are the kinds of things we're doing. As well, we're looking at newcomers to the country to make sure that they can process the information that we provide to be able to get the benefits they're entitled to.
View Greg Fergus Profile
Lib. (QC)
Sorry to interrupt you.
Do you think that the time has come to have automated systems for the tax return?
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