New process for authorizing representatives for business clients using the Business Consent Service in EFILE

This is honestly going to add SO much work for us and will increase our billable time to the clients.

New process for authorizing representatives for business clients using the Business Consent Service in EFILE

Last fall, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) implemented Confirm my Representative, a two-step verification process for authorizing a representative via Represent a Client. In October 2022, this process will also apply to authorization requests submitted through the Business Consent Service in certified tax software (EFILE). The Business Consent Service is used to request access to business client information only.

After the representative submits an authorization request through certified tax software, the request will go into a ‘pending’ state. The request will not be activated until the business owner or their delegate logs into My Business Account and clicks on the “confirm pending authorizations” button in the Authorized Representatives section.

Highlights of the change:

  • Your clients will be able to quickly and easily confirm who is able to access their tax information by using the Confirm my Representative service in My Business Account.

  • Once your client has registered for My Business Account, they will have to enable email notifications to be notified each time a new representative requests access. Once they receive a request, they can confirm or deny access in My Business Account.

  • Authorization requests submitted through the Business Consent Service in EFILE software will be marked as pending for ten business days. If the owner or their delegate doesn’t confirm it within this timeframe, the request will be cancelled, and a new one will need to be submitted.

  • This process of confirming the authorization of a representative will be a one-time action for most business owners.

  • This only applies to new authorization requests, including those from a currently authorized representative if they choose to submit a new request.

  • In some exceptional cases, the CRA may still contact a business owner by telephone to verify a representative’s authorization.

Steps your clients need to take:

  • Make sure your clients are aware that they must register for My Business Account and enable email notifications before you submit your authorization request.

  • Business owners who are already registered for My Account do not have to register again for My Business Account. They can sign in to My Business Account using their CRA user ID and password.

  • If they don’t have a CRA user ID and password, they’ll need to create one and for this, they’ll need their:

    • Social insurance number
    • Date of birth
    • Current postal or zip code
    • Personal income tax returns from the current and previous year
    • Business number
  • Once your client has signed up for My Business Account, they will need to add their business number to their account. The business owner will only be allowed to do this if their name and social insurance number matches the information the CRA has on file for the business. If they get an error message at this step, they will need to contact the CRA to update their records.

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While I understand why they want to do it. I have clients who I’ve had for years who still refuse to register for “My Business Account”. This is going to be a pain, you’re right. SMH. It’s like they don’t understand people, especially older people.

I found this out the hard way when my access to a client’s business expired. I filed a new one, he signed it but he does not have a My Business Account and could not figure it all out so I never got access. Now we are 3 ½ months later and still no access because he has no access. He doesn’t understand because he has been a client for 22 years and why has it expired now. I think it is because when I got the original access, I figured I would be retired by now and may have filled in 2021 as the end date. LOL!

Pat Gamborg

PAT’s OFFICE

1354 Fed Road

Bear River NS B0S 1B0

902-467-3358

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Oh, FFS.

That. Is. All.

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Yup - I can see my personal tax practice with a few corporate tax files will not be expanding on the corporate side unless possibly they are already registered for my business account…

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Just submitted one and have instant access so although we have been notified it must not yet be in force.

This chap definitely does not have a “My Business Account”.

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Has not started yet, will start soon.

I think we need to create a new service for clients called " Open My Business Account", too bad thought for them as they need to pay extra now.

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For me this issue started in September already. I tried to submit two authorizations in September and could not figure out why the next day I didn’t have access. I went digging and then found out about the need for the client to go and verify. Somehow I didn’t receive that notification. Never fails as soon as there is a good system at CRA someone has to come along and mess with it so that it is no longer user friendly…

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What a mess this is going to be.

Between every single breathing staff member in a CPA office needing a Rep ID to even take a message from a CRA agent, to now requiring every single corporate business to not only have, but also navigate, a MyBusinessAccount, the administration burden is getting out of hand.

CRA is going crazy trying to get everything shifted to “Electronic”, but they can’t even pull their heads out of their butts enough to get proper e-signature legislation drafted. (Still an “administrative position” vs being acceptable/default.)

It’s not like I can send CRA a bill for any of this wasted time either. Le sigh.

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Don’t you luv the way CRA is SO helpful toward us.
I am NOT impressed with the way they try to be so nice to us and understanding to the very taxpayers who pay their salaries!

So where is CPA Canada, EFILE Association of Canada and the other professional organizations? Where is the noise? The public complaints? The lobbying?

“crickets” from the scaredy-cat head wonks of all of them.

Are you a member of EFile Association of Canada?

Yep. Have been for a bunch of years.

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I am sure they must be working on this. I dropped my membership this year but they are usually on top of things like this and I believe CRA hears them.

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With the new rules, I see no reason to send an authorization request via EFILE. If the client still needs to log into “My Business Account”, he can enter the RepID there himself. The Business Consent service will be a useless move!

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Good point.

Team Redundancy strikes again.

The problem here is timing.

Sometimes organizations need things done fast - which is possiby something they have left until the last minute - but nonetheless…filing through EFile was quick and efficient and gave us access in (literally) moments.

This process will not do that and CRA should be ashamed of themselves.

We, as AuthReps, Accountants, Trustees and whatevers NEED TO SPEAK OUT and have our voices heard where it counts…at the top.

Complaining on her won’t do anything useful. But it makes us feel better. :thinking:

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I have a few illiterate clients. I don’t think the CRA understands that illiteracy is a disability under provincial law. Certainly this step puts them in conflict with a different jurisdiction.

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Oh…my. Hadn’t thought about that at all…so true!