Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Symbol of the Government of Canada

ARCHIVED - Canada Revenue Agency


Warning This page has been archived.

Archived Content

Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats on the "Contact Us" page.

Section IV: Other Items of Interest

Board of Management

Board Membership

The Board of Management of the Canada Revenue Agency comprises 15 members appointed by the Governor in Council. They include the Chair, the Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, a director nominated by each province, one director nominated by the territories, and two directors nominated by the federal government. Members of the Board bring a private-sector perspective and business approach to management and, in this regard, have been championing a significant agenda for change within the CRA.

The following list shows the Board membership as of February 2009.

Connie I. Roveto, B.A., B.Ed., ICD.D
Chair, Board of Management
President
Cirenity Management
Toronto, Ontario

Camille Belliveau, CFP, FCGA
Executive Director
Groupe EPR Canada Group Inc.
Shediac, New Brunswick

Myles Bourke, B.Comm., FCA
Corporate Director
Chartered Accountant
Lethbridge, Alberta

Raymond Desrochers, B.Comm., CA, CFE
Partner
BDO Dunwoody LLP Chartered Accountants
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Gordon Gillis, B.A., LL.B.
Lawyer/Consultant
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

André Gingras
Founder and Director
André Gingras et Associés inc.
Montréal, Quebec

Norman Halldorson, B.Comm., FCA
Corporate Director
Clavet, Saskatchewan

Robert J. (Bob) Healey, B.Comm., CFP, FCA
Corporate Director
Chartered Accountant/Management Consultant
St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador

James J. Hewitt, FCMA
Corporate Director
Penticton, British Columbia

Fauzia Lalani, P.Eng.
Executive Consultant
Calgary, Alberta

Rod Malcolm, CA
Corporate Director
Iqaluit, Nunavut

Patricia J. Mella, B.A., B.Ed., M.A.
Corporate Director
Stratford, Prince Edward Island

James R. Nininger, B.Comm., M.B.A., Ph.D.
Corporate Director
Ottawa, Ontario

Sylvie Tessier, B.A.Sc., M.B.A., P.Eng., ICD.D
Consulting Director
Sierra Systems
Toronto, Ontario

William V. Baker, B.A., M.A., ICD.D
Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer
Canada Revenue Agency
Ottawa, Ontario

The Board of Management is responsible for overseeing the organization and administration of the CRA as well as the management of its resources, services, property, personnel, and contracts. The Board is supported by four committees with mandates to assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities. The role and membership of these committees are outlined below.


Audit Committee
Mandate
The Audit Committee reviews the CRA’s accounting framework, financial and performance information, internal controls and financial risks, as well as its compliance with financial and environmental legislation.
Membership
Chair
M. Bourke
Vice-Chair
R. Desrochers
Members
N. Halldorson, C. Roveto, R. Healey


Governance Committee
Mandate
The Governance Committee reviews all aspects of the Board’s governance framework to ensure that the Board functions in an effective and efficient manner that successfully supports the operations of the CRA.
Membership
Chair
J. Nininger
Vice-Chair
J. Hewitt
Members
W. Baker, C. Roveto, C. Belliveau


Human Resources Committee
Mandate
The Human Resources Committee reviews the management of human resources within the CRA and provides recommendations and advice on the CRA’s human resources management strategies, initiatives, and policies.
Membership
Chair
G. Gillis
Vice-Chair
P. Mella
Members
W. Baker, J. Nininger, C. Roveto


Resources Committee
Mandate
The Resources Committee reviews the CRA’s operating and capital budgets, its capital investment plans, and the development of administrative management strategies and policies for the management of funds, real property, contracts, equipment, information, information technology, and environmental obligations.
Membership
Chair
S. Tessier
Vice-Chair
F. Lalani
Members
W. Baker, R. Malcolm, A. Gingras, C. Roveto, C. Belliveau, J. Hewitt

Organizational Structure


Organizational Structure

Service Standards

Excellence in Service

External service standards publicly state the level of performance that citizens can reasonably expect from the CRA under normal circumstances. The CRA is committed to developing, monitoring, and reporting on a full suite of service standards in areas of importance to taxpayers and benefit recipients. Service standards also support our commitment to Canadians for transparency, management accountability, and citizen-focused service.

Service standards that are consistently met help contribute to Canadians’ compliance with tax and benefit legislation, and support the CRA’s program administration.

Reporting

Every year, approval is sought to adjust, delete, or introduce service standards through the Corporate Business Plan. In 2009-2010, we will have a total of 47 service standards. We report externally on our overall performance against our service standards in the CRA Annual Report to Parliament, found at www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/nnnl/menu-eng.html.

The following service standards will be in effect for 2009-2010.

Taxpayer and Business Assistance (PA1) (Enquiries and Information Services)

Service
Standard
Target
1. General enquiries—Telephone service level
Respond to calls in queue within two minutes
80%
2. Business enquiries—Telephone service level
Respond to calls in queue within two minutes
80%

Taxpayer and Business Assistance (PA1) (Legislative Policy and Regulatory Affairs)

Service
Standard
Target
3. Charities—Responding to telephone enquiries
Within two minutes
80%
4. Advance income tax rulings to taxpayers
Within average of  60 days
100%
5. Technical interpretations to taxpayers
Within average of 90 days
100%
6. GST/HST rulings and interpretations—Written enquiries
Within 45 working days
80%
7. Applications to register pension plans
Complete review in 180 days
85%
8. Amendments to registered pension plans
Nine months
80%
9. Termination of registered pension plans
One year
85%
10. Retirement savings plans (applications to register, amend, or terminate)
Within 60 days
80%
11. Retirement income funds (applications to register, amend, or terminate)
Within 60 days
80%
12. Education savings plans (applications to register, amend, or terminate)
Within 60 days
85%
13. Actuarial valuation reports
Nine months
80%
14. Deferred income plans—Response to written enquiries
Within 60 days
80%
15. Deferred profit sharing plans
Registration in 180 days
80%
16. Deferred profit sharing plans
Amendments and terminations in 270 days (nine months)
80%

Assessment of Returns and Payment Processing (PA2)

Service
Standard
Target
17. Responding to taxpayer-requested adjustments (T1)
Eight weeks
100%
18. Responding to taxpayer-requested adjustments (T1) received via the Internet
Two weeks
100%
19. Providing Statements of Interim Payments (SIP) to corporations and GST/HST clients on a monthly basis
Mailed by the 18th of the month
95%
20. Processing T1 individual income tax returns (paper)
Four to six weeks
100%
21. Processing T1 individual income tax returns (EFILE, TELEFILE, NETFILE)
Two weeks
100%
22. Processing T3 trust returns
Within four months
95%
23. Processing excise tax, excise duty, and air travellers security charge returns
Within 90 days
95%
24. Processing GST/HST returns
30 days
95%
25. Processing T2 corporation income tax returns
Within 60 days
90%

Accounts Receivable and Returns Compliance (PA3)

Service
Standard
Target
26. Processing taxpayer relief requests related to accounts receivable and trust accounts programs
Four to six weeks
90%

Reporting Compliance (PA4)

Service
Standard
Target
27. Processing non-resident Regulation 105 waiver requests
30 days
85%
Claims—SR&ED tax incentives
28. Refundable claims
120 days
90%
29. Non-refundable claims
365 days
90%
30. Claimant-requested adjustments to refundable claims
240 days
90%
31. Claimant-requested adjustments to non-refundable claims
365 days
90%
Claims—Video and film tax credits
32. Refundable claims—Unaudited
60 days
90%
33. Refundable claims—Audited
120 days
90%

Appeals (PA5)

Service
Standard
Target
34. Problem Resolution Program1 
Acknowledged within two working days
95%
35. Problem Resolution Program1
Resolution/taxpayer contact within 15 working days
95%
36. First contact letter for disputes
30 days
85%

1 Previously associated with Taxpayer and Business Assistance (PA1) (Enquiries and Information Services)
Benefit Programs (PA6)

Service
Standard
Target
37. Canada Child Tax Benefit—Telephone service level
Respond to calls in queue within two minutes
75%
38. Processing benefit applications and marital status change forms—Timeliness
Issue a payment, notice, or explanation within 80 days
98%
39. Processing benefit applications and marital status change forms—Accuracy
Accurately process information and, if necessary, issue a payment, notice, or letter
98%
40. Responding to benefit and credit enquiries—Timeliness
Respond to written enquiries and telephone referrals from Call Centres within 80 days
98%
41. Responding to benefit and credit enquiries—Accuracy
Respond to written enquiries and telephone referrals from the Call Centres with the correct information, and process new recipient information, including issuing a payment, notice, or letter, accurately
98%
42. Validation and control—Results of review
Inform the recipient of the results of our review within 45 days after we receive the information requested
90%
43. Processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative— Timeliness (peak)
Within 20 business days of receipt during peak periods
90%
44. Processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative— Accuracy (peak)
Accurately process the request, and if necessary, send a letter requesting additional information
98%
45. Processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative— Timeliness (non-peak)
Within five business days of receipt during non-peak periods
90%
46. Processing a request to authorize or cancel a representative— Accuracy (non-peak)
Accurately process the request, and if necessary, send a letter requesting additional information
98%

Internal Services

Service
Standard
Target
47. Client or taxpayer requests for statistical tax data
Within an average of 30 days
100%

Service Standards Under Development

The CRA also remains committed to improving service and developing new service standards, as shown by the ongoing work listed below. However, developmental work on three service standards (i.e., Respond to written deferred income plans – enquiries; Register a pension plan; and Request eligible contributions) in registered plans has been cancelled as they were not new standards, but planned modifications to existing ones. Developments planned for 2009-2010 to 2011-2012 are outlined below:


Program Activity
Service Standard
Proposed Target
Taxpayer and Business Assistance (Legislative Policy and Regulatory Affairs)
Review and respond to applications for charitable registration upon receipt of a complete application, within established standards
80%
GST/HST Rulings, telephone enquiries—respond to calls in the queue within two minutes
80%
Registered pension plan amendments within 60 days (this standard would combine amendments within nine months and terminations within one year)
85%
(Enquiries and Information Services)
International and Non-resident General Enquiries – Telephone service level. Respond to calls in the queue within two minutes
80%
Appeals
Average working days to complete processing income tax, commodity tax, and CPP/EI disputes
TBD

Sustainable Development

The CRA is currently implementing the 2007-2010 Sustainable Development Strategy. By executing the strategy we seek to achieve environmental excellence, improve the efficiency of our operations, and support the Government of Canada’s sustainable development priorities.

In order to integrate sustainable development into the way we conduct our business, our strategy contains four interrelated goals:

  • reducing the effects of our operations on land, air, and water;
  • delivering our services in a more sustainable manner;
  • engaging our employees to apply sustainable development; and
  • using modern systems to support and maintain sustainable development.

Our current strategy is scheduled to end in 2010. Looking ahead, the Government of Canada’s new Federal Sustainable Development Act will determine the form and timing of the CRA’s next sustainable development strategy.

For more detailed information on the CRA’s sustainable development program, please visit CRA’s Web site:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/sstnbl/prfrmnc/menu-eng.html

Green Procurement

For more detailed information on the CRA’s Green Procurement Program, please visit the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Web site:

http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rpp/st-ts-eng.asp

Internal Audits and Evaluations

For more detailed information on the CRA’s internal audits and avaluations, please visit the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Web site:

http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rpp/st-ts-eng.asp