Statement from Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson about upcoming tax-filing season

OTTAWA, February 19, 2026 – Tax season officially launches next week. For many taxpayers, this may be the only time of year when they interact with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). It is therefore important for the CRA to respond to enquiries in a timely manner to make sure it meets taxpayers’ expectations.

OTTAWA, February 19, 2026 – Tax season officially launches next week. For many taxpayers, this may be the only time of year when they interact with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). It is therefore important for the CRA to respond to enquiries in a timely manner to make sure it meets taxpayers’ expectations.

But this season feels different. Last September, after a long period of public scrutiny and criticism of the CRA’s contact centres, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue, and the Honourable Wayne Long, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions), requested that the CRA implement a 100-day service improvement plan. Until the plan ended in December, the CRA reported weekly on its 100-day Service Improvement Plan web page about its progress related to four pillars: increasing its ability to answer calls, expanding digital self-service options, addressing the root causes of service issues, and accelerating service modernization.

As a result of initiatives it undertook, the CRA processed many taxpayer requests last fall and is currently managing the call volume at its contact centres. However, it remains unclear how the CRA’s improvements will set it up for better results this tax season compared with last year. The coming weeks will be the real test.