Fed up Canadian people say that no one is taking their phone in CRA. The Sangh says it is ready to deteriorate

Many Canadians are complaining that they cannot reach anyone at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) by phone to address important tax matters, and the union representing the agency workers has joined the affected taxpayers in arguing with the federal government to fix the problem.

“It is just so disappointing and disappointing,” North Bay, ONTS’s Christa Tucker Petric said, one of the many affected taxpayers interviewed by CBC News.

She said that she is calling Cra at least twice for weeks to deal with her late step mother’s property.

Tucker petric says that every time she calls, she does not even keep it. Instead, she is congratulated by an automated recording about Cra online service options.

“This is a government service. Well, I am not getting any service,” he said.

Regina’s bookkeeper Erin Rood says that she started facing the same problem in May. Now, his company employees are trying to call the CRA on the whole day, trying to call the CRA to address the client cases.

They rarely succeed, Rud said.

Rud, owner of Black Star Accounting Rood said, “We radial and then us ‘all our agents are busy, please call again’ (message) and we start again.” “Some days we want us to have a screaming room in the office because we really want to shout.”

Union of taxation employees, which represent CRA workers, say about 3,300 call centers have lost their jobs since May 2024. As a result, the Sangh says that on average, on average, an agent makes less than five percent of the call.

Union on Thursday Started a social media campaign To condemn the job cuts and warn the Canadian people that if Ottawa proceeds with further cuts, it will be more difficult to talk to the CRA agent by the phone.

“The future looks very foggy right now,” said the union’s national president Mark Brier.

“We are advocating for them to prevent bleeding.”

Comprehensive job cut

As A Treasury Board DatabaseThe CRA had 52,499 employees at the end of March 2025. In 2024, it had 59,155 – which means that more than 10 percent of its employees were lost.

Brière said that the loss of thousands of call center workers has been destructive. He estimated that employees are on job between 3,500 and 4,000 call centers.

Not only most of the upcoming calls are unliked, Breer said, but the remaining employees are struggling with the charge.

“People are absolutely tired and they are crying for help.”

He said that employees should also deal with erate callers, which – when they eventually reach an agent – want to know why it is so difficult to get it.

“They are very misused on phone lines.”

Brière said that due to Prime Minister Mark Carney, more job loss is expected in Cra’s call center Call recently To reduce the program expenses significantly for federal ministries. The cost targets will show a 7.5 percent reduction in the financial year starting in April 2026, followed by 10 percent and 15 percent in 2028-29.

Follow their pledge for double expenses on defense to meet Carney’s proposed cuts New NATO spending target,

Brière argues that Ottawa needs to grow, not the lack, CRA budget and call center workers who already let the workers go back.

“If not, it’s going to be absolutely disgusting,” he said. “It’s going to happen,” Don’t bother to call us, we can’t even pick up the phone anymore. “

On Wednesday, Cra told CBC News that it was working on a response to the story, although no one was received till late Thursday evening.

Calls on hold

CBC News interviewed several taxpayers, who say that they have been trying to reach CRA by phone sometime for months.

Social media is also filled with complaints.

Reddit includes Dozens of discussion threads About the subject, like the title “Cra endless phone loop” And “How to talk to a human in cra,

Tucker petric, who is the executor of his late step mother’s property, said he needs to talk with a CRA agent to make a simple request. He needs an agent to provide access to his accountant in estate so that he could deal with tax paperwork, a task that he was not able to do online.

Till paperwork is not done, she cannot pay the money left to her stepmother and three other beneficiaries, she said.

She says that on the first day, on 5 August, she called the agency 671 times in seven hours.

“I was in tears because I am trying to clean this property,” she said. “I have a duty for three other beneficiaries.”

Tucker Petric said she eventually expects to reach an agent. He also hopes that the government will reverse its cuts in call centers.

“You need to do better,” he said. “You can’t just keep the service cutting and hope that the system is going. This is not.”

Back to Black Star Accounting Services in Regina, Rood says that the problem of Cra call center is harming her business – and not just because an employee is rebuilding the agency every day.

Rud said that he should also deal with troubled customers, whose cases are limited until his office can reach the agency to address his issues.

Rud said, “The public is getting disappointed, we are getting disappointed.”

Asked if he had a message to send to the government, Rud’s response was brief.

“Help,” he said.