
Canadians voice frustrations with CRA over delays accessing benefits, refunds
Chris Ellis has been trying to access his tax refund for four months.
He's just one of dozens of Canadians who tell CTV News the significant wait times and other challenges contacting the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) are preventing them from accessing certain benefits.
From getting locked out of accounts for extended periods to getting stuck in a loop on the automated voice messaging system, many are expressing frustration with the agency's communication.
In response to a CTV News article encouraging Canadians to reach out about their experiences with the CRA, several people shared that they have been waiting months to have their issues resolved.
Ellis, for his part, was notified he'd been locked out of his CRA account after his bank, HSBC, was bought out by RBC, changing his direct deposit information and triggering a security alert. But Ellis says he didn't learn he'd been locked out until more than a month after he filed his taxes.
'I called CRA, and after listening to useless advice and options, I finally realized that I was in a loop: there was no way to reach an actual agent, and there was no option to select one,' Ellis wrote. 'This went on for about three weeks, with me calling in, going through the useless messages that took about six minutes, only to find out there were no agents available.'
'Super frustrating given that my account was locked out,' he added.
Ellis then had to submit documentation through a portal — more than once — to prove his identity, but he still hasn't received his tax refund.
'So here I am, almost four months after submitting my tax return, and I am still in limbo,' he said.
Ellis adds that CRA employees, once they can be reached, are 'very sharp' and 'very helpful,' but that the issue lies with the online and phone services.
Delays causing 'extreme stress'
'I have been unable to reach a human at the CRA for weeks,' wrote Eric Enright in an email to CTV News. 'I have called periodically, maybe 10-15 times, and every time it just says all agents are busy and pushes me to an automated system that can't help. It is very frustrating.'
'I have no problem waiting hours, as I can just leave my phone beside me while I work,' Enright added. 'It's ridiculous, in my opinion, to not even give people the option of waiting.'
Paul Medhurst said his tax return was filed mid-April but also has still not been processed.
'This failure of CRA is causing me extreme stress, worry and I'm losing a lot of sleep,' Medhurst said. '(I) worry of being broke and having my income held.'
He added the delay in processing his tax return is preventing him from accessing monthly disability benefits.
Sarah Kienitz wrote that it's taken months to receive the Canada Child Benefit, for which she's been approved.
'I attempted to contact the CRA three times to find out what the hold up was and to get clarity about why my taxes had been processed, but this was taking much longer,' she wrote. 'Each time I received a message that agents were busy and there was no option to even remain on hold, or any other way to contact them, except the chatbot that inevitably told me to call an agent with my queries.'
'I find it incredibly frustrating that I have tax deadlines and can be penalized for not completing on time, but the CRA can drag their heels almost four months before even telling me what my benefit entitlements are,' Kienitz also wrote.
Others complained that CRA delays and communication challenges are preventing them from distributing estates for which they are the executor.
Government departments tasked with finding savings
Prime Minister Mark Carney, meanwhile, has pledged billions in new spending while promising to balance its operating budget. That will likely mean significant cuts to the size of the federal public service, according to the parliamentary budget officer.
Ahead of a planned fall budget, government departments are being asked to find their own internal savings by the end of August, CTV News has confirmed.
The Globe and Mail reported Friday the CRA is among the departments in the early stages of determining where to make cuts, as the union representing CRA employees is warning the cuts could 'disproportionately' affect call centres.
Complaints about CRA wait times are not new.
A 2017 report by the Auditor General found that the agency gave 'very limited access to its call centre services,' and that it blocked more than half the calls it received because it couldn't handle the volume.
Also a 2023 report by the taxpayers' ombudsperson found the agency failed to properly communicate about the problem when thousands of people were locked out of their account two years prior. That report acknowledged specific challenges at the time, namely an overwhelming number of requests with the CRA while it distributed COVID-19-era relief benefits.
'This examination has highlighted a recurring issue at the CRA, where it communicates reactively rather than proactively,' the report concluded.
In an email statement to CTV News, CRA spokesperson Charles Drouin said the agency is encouraging people to use online self-service tools — such as CRA My Account and the AI chatbot — before calling, because an estimated quarter of reported issues can be solved without an agent.
'We regret the inconvenience this situation may cause and are actively working to continuously improve both our phone and digital services,' Drouin wrote. 'By expanding self-service options, we aim to make it easier for Canadians to get the help they need quickly, securely, and without needing to speak to an agent.'
Drouin added the CRA understands wait times can be frustrating, and that it values 'providing timely, high-quality service.'
'At times, demand for phone support can exceed our capacity and as a result, some callers are being redirected to automated self-service options,' Drouin wrote.
Efforts to streamline certain processes are underway, including by changing some of its authorization requirements for individuals representing a client, according to a press release from the CRA this week.
With files from CTV News' Stephanie Ha

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
U.S. slaps 20.56% anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber
Social Sharing The U.S. Commerce Department has decided to hike anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood to 20.56 per cent, with B.C. lumber organizations calling them unjustified, punitive and protectionist. The hiked softwood lumber duties come amid the growing trade war between Canada and the U.S., and represent the latest blow to B.C.'s beleaguered forestry industry. B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar described the long-awaited rate hike as a "gut punch" for B.C.'s forestry industry which has seen thousands of workers laid off over the last few years. "U.S. President Donald Trump has made it his mission to destroy Canada's economy, and there is no sector that has faced more of that than the forestry sector," he told CBC News. "This is a big deal for our workers. This is going to have a significant impact. It will lead to curtailments," he added. The B.C. government has been urging the federal government to prioritize the softwood lumber industry in trade discussions with the U.S., and Parmar said the hiked duties would also impact U.S. homeowners needing lumber to rebuild or renovate their homes. "This is going to mean that Americans, in particular middle-class Americans, are going to be paying more to the tune of $15,000 to $20,000 more USD to purchase or to build a home." The B.C. Lumber Trade Council says in a statement that if the U.S. department's pending review on countervailing duties is in line with its preliminary results, the combined rate against Canadian softwood shipped to the United States will be well over 30 per cent. In April, the preliminary combined rate on Canadian softwood lumber was reported to be 34.45 per cent, up from the previous 14.54 per cent. Friday's decision is a final determination, with Parmar saying it would go into effect in the U.S. Federal Register shortly. WATCH | Duties hiked on softwood lumber: U.S. hikes anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber | Hanomansing Tonight 17 hours ago U.S. lumber producers have long maintained that Canadian stumpage fees, for harvesting on Crown land, are an unfair government subsidy. B.C.'s Independent Wood Processors Association says in a statement that the U.S. Commerce Department's decision this week to raise duties also includes a requirement for Canadian companies to retroactively remit duties for products shipped to the United States since Jan.1, 2023. WATCH | B.C. premier urges feds to prioritze lumber deal: Will a softwood lumber deal be part of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations? | Power & Politics 5 days ago As premiers meet ahead of a briefing from the prime minister on the state of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations on Tuesday, B.C. Premier David Eby tells Power & Politics there may be 'an opportunity' for Canada to strike a deal on long-standing softwood lumber disputes with the Americans. Association chair Andy Rielly says in a statement that the requirement to pay duties on products shipped in the last 31 months could not only force small B.C. producers to shut down, but may also threaten operators' personal assets as they may have to risk using their homes as collateral to secure bonds to pay. Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this month that a future trade agreement with the United States could include quotas on softwood lumber, an area that has caused friction between the two countries for years before the latest trade war. Producer urges province to change conditions The United States has long been the single largest market for B.C. lumber exports, representing over half the market for the approximately $10-billion industry. But amid a series of challenges for the province's forestry industry — including a mountain pine beetle infestation that has killed hundreds of thousands of trees — mills have been closing around the province in recent years, and major forestry companies are opening up new mills in the United States. In 2023, numbers from Statistics Canada showed B.C. had lost more than 40,000 forest-sector jobs since the early 1990s. Kim Haakstad, the CEO of the B.C. Council of Forest Industries, said the B.C. government should work to improve the production environment in the province to prevent future mill closures. In a statement, the council said that by activating timber sales, fast-tracking permits and cutting through regulatory gridlock, the province could send a signal that it is serious about rebuilding a sustainable forest sector. WATCH | B.C.'s forestry industry struggles amid tariff war: Trump's tariff war could collapse B.C.'s struggling forest industry 4 months ago B.C.'s forest industry is already in serious trouble, and U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff war is pushing it closer to the brink of collapse. CBC's Lyndsay Duncombe breaks down what's at stake for lumber producers and how they're looking to adapt. Haakstad argued that if the industry could get production levels back to historic levels, it could help keep forestry-dependent communities vibrant into the future. "That will bring more than $300 million to the provincial government, as well, to help address the deficit situation we're in," Haakstad said. Kurt Niquidet, the president of the B.C. Lumber Trade Council, highlighted that Trump also has initiated a federal investigation into the U.S. imports of lumber and timber citing "national security," which could further impact B.C.'s forestry industry when combined with the tariffs. "Softwood lumber is quite important for the United States. They can only supply about 70 per cent of their softwood lumber demand, and they're importing 30 per cent from elsewhere," he told CBC News.

CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Beloved Dartmouth bookstore to remain open after surge in community support
Social Sharing An iconic bookstore in Dartmouth, N.S., that faced eviction over two months of unpaid rent was able to raise the money it needed to get caught up, thanks to an outpouring of support from the community. John W. Doull, Bookseller has been an institution in the city since 1987. It specializes in rare and out-of-print books, but carries a wide selection of literature on almost every topic imaginable. The deadline for the bookstore to get caught up was Friday. It was previously estimated the store needed to bring in $15,000 to $20,000 to raise enough revenue to pay for outstanding rent and next month's rent. Books were discounted by 40 per cent to entice people to come out. In a post on its website, the business thanked the public for the surge in support and said it would reopen Monday. "It has been enough to keep us open for another month, has given us a HUGE boost to our morale, and we have great plans for the future!" it said. CBC News contacted the business for comment, but has not heard back. The business was previously located on Barrington Street in Halifax, but moved to Main Street in Dartmouth in 2012. Its landlord, Yellowstone Commercial Developments, confirmed the bookstore paid what was owed. "We were very surprised and kind of happy to see how many vehicles were in the parking lot and how many people were coming in through the building. It hasn't been like that for as long as we can remember," said controller Will Radford. With nearly four decades in business, owner John W. Doull estimated in 2023 that the store has between two million and three million books in its collection.


Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
United Rentals (URI) Gets a Buy from J.P. Morgan
J.P. Morgan analyst Tami Zakaria maintained a Buy rating on United Rentals today and set a price target of $1,000.00. The company's shares opened today at $873.35. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Zakaria covers the Industrials sector, focusing on stocks such as Agco, Paccar, and Oshkosh. According to TipRanks, Zakaria has an average return of 15.2% and a 68.28% success rate on recommended stocks. The word on The Street in general, suggests a Moderate Buy analyst consensus rating for United Rentals with a $862.67 average price target, implying a -1.22% downside from current levels. In a report released today, KeyBanc also maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a $960.00 price target. The company has a one-year high of $896.98 and a one-year low of $525.91. Currently, United Rentals has an average volume of 559.4K. Based on the recent corporate insider activity of 55 insiders, corporate insider sentiment is negative on the stock. This means that over the past quarter there has been an increase of insiders selling their shares of URI in relation to earlier this year. Most recently, in April 2025, CRAIG ADAM PINTOFF, the EVP, Chief Admin. Officer of URI sold 4,449.00 shares for a total of $2,816,661.90.