News re CRA DTS Tax Preparer Phone Support
1. Introducing CRA DTS Tax Preparer Phone Support Pilot Project
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/campaigns/dedicated-telephone-service.html
Helping you with your tax questions
If you are a small or medium income tax service provider you can get free help with your income tax questions over the telephone. The Dedicated Telephone Service (DTS) is available across Canada for the 2018 filing season.
The service is designed to help answer your questions on the interpretation of the Income Tax Act. A DTS officer will guide you through the CRA guidance and technical information relevant to your questions about the Act.
After sending you the relevant information, these officers are also available to discuss the guidance with you. You will generally receive a response to your questions within three business days.
Register for the service today!
Need help with individual taxpayer accounts?
- The DTS is focused on helping you navigate interpretations of the Income Tax Act and is not meant to replace the already comprehensive services available to deal with such issues as individual taxpayer accounts.
- For questions regarding individual taxpayer accounts, call the Individual and families enquiries or the Business and Self-Employed Individuals Enquiries lines or send your question through the Represent a Client service.
- For questions regarding the GST/HST, call 1-800-959-8287.
- For information on how to obtain an advance income tax ruling or technical interpretation, see Income tax rulings and interpretations.
Did you know?
- DTS users are reporting a 98% satisfaction rate with the service.
- The service is open to both Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs) and non-CPAs, including bookkeepers, lawyers, and notaries.
2. CRA DTS Tax Preparer Phone Support Pilot Project - How to register
Register for the service today!
To be eligible for this telephone service, you must be:
- a small or medium income tax service provider who prepares Canadian income tax returns on behalf of clients; or
- a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) or a non-CPA (such as a lawyer, bookkeeper, notary, or tax preparer) who prepares at least ten Canadian income tax returns for clients during a filing season.
Specialized tax professionals belonging to large firms – those with more than 50 partners – are not eligible for this service. They should continue to use the CRA’s Income Tax Rulings Directorate’s advance income tax rulings or technical interpretations service to address their tax issues.
Register for the DTS
- Complete the registration form.
- Email the completed registration form to: dts-str@cra-arc.gc.ca.
You can also email us if you need help or more information about the service.
3. CRA DTS Tax Preparer Phone Support - Funding over 5 years in 2019 Federal Budget
https://www.cpacanada.ca/en/news/canada/2019-04-01-federal-budget-things-you-missed
The 2019 federal budget, tabled on March 19 by Finance Minister Bill Morneau, covered a diverse assortment of issues, including housing affordability, restricting the preferential treatment of stock options, adjusting research and development tax credits for SMEs and boosting investment in anti-money laundering initiatives.
But in addition to the major announcements, the budget also covered a wide range of measures, including support for seniors and investing in zero-emission vehicles.
Here are five measures you might have missed from this year’s federal budget:
1. CRA SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS
The budget includes new resources and investments towards making the Canada Revenue Agency more efficient and better able to serve Canadians. This includes adding resources to reduce wait times for personal tax return adjustments and tax objections, create digital services to track CRA progress on tax inquiries/requests and broaden the existing tax liaison program.
To further support this effort, the government will invest $16 million over five years to make permanent a pilot program that provides a dedicated support line for tax service providers. Under this program, tax service providers have access to experienced CRA staff who can help with more complex, interpretive tax issues than those typically dealt with under the CRA’s general enquiries service
“All of these initiatives will improve CRA services to taxpayers and their advisers, making tax compliance easier and shortening the wait time for resolution of some tax issues,” says Bruce Ball, vice-president of tax for CPA Canada.
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