Canadians experience improved service delivery and responsiveness from the CRA this tax season

PR Newswire
Today at 10:01am UTC

Canadians experience improved service delivery and responsiveness from the CRA this tax season

Canada NewsWire

OTTAWA, ON, May 7, 2026

OTTAWA, ON, May 7, 2026 /CNW/ - As the April 30 tax filing deadline has passed, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is pleased to report on the 2026 tax season. During this period, more than 28.5 million tax returns were filed, 95.6% of them online. The CRA also issued over 15 million refunds, totalling more than $35 billion, with an average refund of $2,282.

This tax season, the CRA continued efforts to provide timely, accurate, and reliable service, building on changes made over the past year. Contact centres received over 6.5 million calls, or about 120,000 calls per day. Despite the high volume, they answered an average of over 75% of unique callers, reaching a peak of 83%. Service levels were regularly reported so that Canadians knew what to expect when calling, and continue to be available through the CRA's website.

The use of digital services continued to grow. Around 23 million users are currently registered for a CRA account, enabling them to track their tax return status, view notices, access live agent support, and more. Additionally, new account recovery features and existing online payment tools helped reduce the need to contact call centres and made it easier for Canadians to access services independently.

Access to tax filing support remains a priority, including online options and extra support for those who need it. More than 480,000 tax returns were filed through the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (from January 1 – March 31, 2026), which will continue to serve communities across Canada with renewed grant funding for eligible organizations over the next three years. SimpleFile, a free CRA service that lets eligible Canadians file their taxes by phone or online through a series of quick questions, supported more than 73,000 tax returns this season, improving access for lower-income Canadians.

To access benefit and credit payments, Canadians must file a tax return each year. Filing a 2025 tax return is especially important for those eligible for the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (formerly the GST/HST credit), with up to $1,890 available for a family of four this year and up to $950 for a single individual.

Canadians who have not yet filed their 2025 tax return or paid any balance owing are encouraged to do so to avoid penalties and interest and prevent interruptions to benefit and credit payments. Adjustments after filing can be made through a CRA account or certified tax software once the notice of assessment is received.

Results from the 2026 tax season demonstrate the importance of fast, easy, and reliable access to services and information for Canadians. When people can file and interact with the CRA in ways that work for them, it makes a real difference in their overall experience and strengthens trust. Building on this, work will continue to improve processing times, call centre responsiveness, and digital services, with preparation underway for the next tax season, including the personal support worker benefit and expanded automatic tax filing options.

Quotes

"The 2026 tax season reflected the CRA's continued focus on improving services for Canadians. By embracing new technologies and innovative approaches, filing your taxes is becoming more efficient, reliable, and user-friendly—advancing the CRA's mission to administer tax and benefits programs that support the economic and social well-being of all Canadians."

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue

"Taxpayers are seeing real benefits from the service improvements the CRA made heading into this tax season—from quicker access to payments to simpler ways to manage their tax affairs. While we celebrate these successes, our work is not done—we will continue to modernize and streamline the tax system using new technologies, ensuring it remains responsive to the needs of taxpayers."

The Honourable Wayne Long, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)

Quick facts

  • Unless otherwise noted, all data points reflect the period from February 23 to April 30, 2026.
  • Over 14 million individuals used the Auto-fill my return service to fill in parts of their 2025 tax return.
  • The CRA's Skip the Line content attracted approximately 174,000 unique visitors during this tax season. Canadians used these tools to complete more than 37,000 priority self-serve tasks—showing that many are taking advantage of faster, no-wait options that help them get answers without calling.
  • The CRA's Generative AI (GenAI) chatbot held over 445,000 chat sessions, allowing users to find their own answers to more than 657,000 tax-related questions.
  • As recently announced, a one-time goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit top-up payment announced as part of the transition to the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit will go out on June 5, 2026. Individuals who were entitled to receive the GST/HST credit payment in January 2026 should get the one-time payment.
  • In the fall of 2026, the CRA will conduct a pilot to file tax returns on behalf of certain eligible individuals who do not owe taxes (pending Royal Assent of proposed legislation).
  • In March 2027, approximately 1 million eligible individuals will be invited to review and approve a pre-filled tax return directly in their CRA account. 

Associated Links

Contacts

John Fragos
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Finance and National Revenue
john.fragos@fin.gc.ca

Sofiya Sapeha
Press Secretary
Office of the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)
sofiya.sapeha@fin.gc.ca

Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
613-948-8366
cra-arc.media@cra-arc.gc.ca

Stay connected

SOURCE Canada Revenue Agency