The Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) launched a 100-day Service Improvement Plan on September 2, 2025, under direction from the federal government to “fix unacceptable wait times and service delays” by December 11, 2025.
This rapid initiative was a response to widespread frustration from taxpayers and professionals alike over long call hold times, slow processing of tax requests, and difficulties accessing CRA services. Over roughly three months, the CRA implemented a suite of measures to boost service capacity and modernize service tools quickly. This article outlines the core objectives of the 100-day plan, results achieved in that timeframe, and the areas that remain incomplete or unsatisfactory.
Core Objectives of the 100-Day Plan
The 100-day plan focused on four primary objectives designed to improve the taxpayer experience in the short term:
- Improve Call Response Capacity and Responsiveness: Significantly increase the percentage of taxpayer phone calls answered, reducing excessive wait times and repeat calls. This included hiring or reallocating staff to boost contact centre coverage.
- Expand Digital Self-Service Options: Enhance and promote online tools (e.g., My Account portal, chatbots, and web self-service content) so more Canadians can access information or complete tasks independently without needing to call.
- Address Root Causes of Service Delays: Tackle the underlying backlogs and processing delays (for example, in tax return adjustments, benefit claims, and other requests) that lead taxpayers to call in the first place. This involved streamlining processes and adopting new technologies (such as automation and AI) to accelerate workflows.
- Accelerate Service Modernization: Fast-track the introduction of new technologies and service channels (such as callback systems, enhanced phone capabilities, and account security enhancements) to deliver more accessible, user-friendly, and efficient service interactions.
The CRA published these objectives as a roadmap to improve service in the “the very short term,” committing to report progress on a dedicated web page throughout the 100 days. The overarching goal was to demonstrate measurable service improvements by the end of the period and to begin restoring public trust in the CRA’s client service.
Key Achievements in the First 100 Days
By December 11, 2025, the CRA announced that it had made “considerable and marked progress” on all four priority areas of the plan. Notable achievements include:
Call Centre Capacity and Responsiveness
- The CRA more than doubled its call answer rate, increasing the share of unique callers reaching an agent from about 35% in the summer of 2025 to over 70% by the end of the 100 days. Weekly tracking data indicates an improvement from 35% of calls answered in early July 2025 to 82% in the first week of December 2025, exceeding the plan’s 70% target. To accomplish this, the CRA extended term contracts and rehired approximately 1,250 contact centre employees, bolstering front-line staff to reduce wait times.
- The CRA also implemented a new scheduled callback system for account access issues. Over 59,000 Canadians received scheduled callback appointments instead of waiting on hold. The tool enabled people to regain access to locked CRA accounts without lengthy waits. These efforts significantly eased the telephone bottlenecks that had plagued the CRA.
Digital Self-Service Tools
- The CRA introduced and improved multiple online services to let taxpayers help themselves. For example, as of October 20, 2025, a new “Manage Balance” self-service feature in CRA’s online portal allows individuals with tax debt over $1,000 to set up payment plans or make payments without speaking to an agent. Within weeks of launch, roughly 500,000 to 600,000 eligible users accessed this tool. In one week in early December, taxpayers used it 23,733 times to make payments or arrangements online instead of calling.
- The CRA also enabled locked-out users to re-register and regain access to their online accounts independently (as of late October), reducing calls to reset credentials.
- GenAI, the CRA’s online chatbot, was expanded to handle a broader range of questions, including more complex business tax topics and basic queries.
- The document verification service has made CRA account registration quicker, with 88% of new users gaining access in October 2025, mitigating approximately 300,000 phone calls per year.
- Updates to Canada.ca tax pages to clarify benefits, credits, and processing timelines
Tackling Backlogs and Delays
- The CRA targeted specific backlogs that were driving complaints. The CRA identified the following as key areas driving complaints: processing of individual T1 tax adjustments, Disability Tax Credit (“DTC”) applications, and Canada Child Benefit claims. A targeted plan was implemented to address these areas.
- By reallocating some customer service agents to work on the DTC backlog, the CRA processed an additional 23,000+ DTC requests within 100 days (in addition to normal volumes) without sacrificing its call-answer rate goal.
- CRA systems were enhanced to auto-process more transactions. As of October, a new automation for tax adjustments was implemented to process approximately 115,000 additional adjustment requests per year automatically. This is expected to reduce wait times for Canadians awaiting reassessments significantly.
Service Modernization Initiatives
- In 100 days, the CRA implemented changes to its phone service as recommended by the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman (an independent watchdog for service issues). These included testing a new call-scheduling system and improving phone routing to ensure payment-related calls are routed directly to specialized agents. These changes are estimated to eliminate about 95,000 call transfers per year and get callers to the right help faster.
- The CRA additionally began work on a modernized contact centre platform (a significant overhaul of phone technology and processes). Security and access improvements were also planned, including the recent introduction of mandatory multi-factor authentication for online accounts to reduce lockouts.
Remaining Challenges and Incomplete Areas
Despite the positive metrics and accomplishments above, not all problems were solved in 100 days. Both the CRA’s own leadership and external observers acknowledge that significant service issues remain. Key areas of ongoing concern include:
Call Accuracy and Information Quality
Improving call-handling speed is meaningless if the information provided is incorrect. In October 2025, the Auditor General (“AG”) released a report revealing serious accuracy issues in CRA call centres. In test calls, agents answered only 17% of basic personal tax questions accurately, and just over 54% of business-related questions accurately. This alarming finding suggests that many callers may still receive wrong or incomplete answers, potentially leading to mistakes and frustration.
Processing Delays and Backlogs Persist
The 100-day plan made a dent in backlogs, but significant delays persist in certain areas, particularly for complex cases. The Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson noted at the plan’s conclusion that “significant delays in processing complex T1 adjustment requests” still require attention.
Short-Term Plan vs. Long-Term Change
By design, the 100-day plan was a quick fix or “Band-Aid” solution, and officials concede that deeper, long-term reforms are needed. The federal government has already begun formulating a multi-year (3–5-year) plan for the CRA to ensure continued improvements in service standards and call centre performance beyond this initial sprint.
CRA leadership acknowledges that 100 days were insufficient to address systemic problems. Some of the plan’s more ambitious components (like the modernized phone platform and additional automation) will not fully materialize until 2026 or later. This means Canadians may not yet feel all the intended benefits. There is also recognition that cultural and structural issues within the CRA contribute to service problems, which a 3-month effort alone cannot resolve.
Conclusion and Summary of Outcomes
Ultimately, the CRA’s 100-day plan somewhat succeeded in meeting its immediate service targets, wait times are down, and new self-help channels are in place, which is a tangible win for Canadians contacting the CRA. However, not all objectives were fully achieved in the tight timeframe.
The CRA has signalled its commitment to build on the 100-day plan’s momentum, heading into the 2026 tax season with plans for additional hiring, better training, and further automation. Canadians will be watching to see if these efforts translate into a sustained high level of service.
