Service standards

Service standards represent the Canada Revenue Agency's commitment to a level of performance that clients can expect when getting the service under normal circumstances.

The following is a list of our service standards for 2013-2014. See All service standards for the full listing.

• Authorizing or cancelling a representative
  • Processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative – paper
  • Processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative – electronic
• Businesses
  • Business enquiries - telephone service level
  • Claims - SR&ED tax incentives - claimant-requested adjustments to non-refundable claims
  • Claims - SR&ED tax incentives - claimant-requested adjustments to refundable claims
  • Claims - SR&ED tax incentives - Non-refundable claims
  • Claims - SR&ED tax incentives - Refundable claims
  • Claims - video and film tax credits - refundable claims - audited
  • Claims - video and film tax credits - refundable claims - unaudited
  • GST/HST rulings and interpretations - telephone enquiries
  • GST/HST rulings and interpretations - written enquiries
  • GST/HST Credit Enquiries Telephone Service Level
  • Processing excise tax, excise duty, softwood lumber returns, and air travellers security charge returns
  • Processing GST/HST returns
  • Processing T2 corporation income tax returns - electronic
  • Processing T2 corporation income tax returns - paper
• Charities and charitable giving
  • Charities - response to telephone enquiries
  • Charities - responding to simple applications
  • Charities - responding to regular applications
  • Charities – written enquiries – routine
  • Charities – written enquiries – complex
• Child and family benefit recipients
  • Canada Child Tax Benefit enquiries - telephone service level
  • Processing benefit applications and marital status change forms - accuracy
  • Processing benefit applications and marital status change forms - timeliness
  • Responding to benefit and credit enquiries - accuracy
  • Responding to benefit and credit enquiries - timeliness
  • Validation and control - Results of review
• Individuals and trusts
  • Advance income tax rulings
  • General enquiries - Telephone service level
  • Processing T1 individual income tax returns (EFILE and NETFILE)
  • Processing T1 individual income tax returns (paper)
  • Processing T3 trust returns
  • Responding to taxpayer-requested adjustments (T1)
  • Responding to taxpayer-requested adjustments (T1) received by Internet
  • Technical interpretations
• Registered plans
  • Actuarial valuation reports
  • Amendments to registered pension plans
  • Applications to register pension plans
  • Deferred income plans - response to written enquiries
  • Deferred profit sharing plans - Amendments and terminations
  • Deferred profit sharing plans - Reviewing applications
  • Education savings plans (applications to register, amend, or terminate)
  • Retirement income funds (applications to register, amend, or terminate)
  • Retirement savings plans (applications to register, amend, or terminate)
• Resolving disputes
  • First contact letter for disputes
  • Problem Resolution Program - Acknowledge receipt
  • Problem Resolution Program - Resolution
  • Service Complaints - two-day acknowledgement
  • Service Complaints - 30 day resolution
• Statistical requests
  • Taxpayer requests for statistical tax data

Related topics

• Service Standards in the CRA
• Annual Report to Parliament
• Service Complaints
• Taxpayers' Ombudsman