November 21, 2014   Delta, British Columbia    Canada Revenue Agency

The Honourable Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of National Revenue was in Delta, British Columbia, today to speak with local business owners as part of a red tape reduction roundtable hosted by the Delta Chamber of Commerce. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is conducting consultations with small and medium-sized businesses, their accountants, and bookkeepers on progress to date in reducing red tape as well as future activities to meet the needs of the small and medium-sized business community.

Minister Findlay noted the many actions the CRA has taken, stemming from 2012 consultations undertaken by the Agency to cut the red tape burden for businesses, including:

• Through the CRA’s secure online self-service portal, businesses now have 24/7 control over more than 50 different transactions such as registering for services, making payments, filing returns, making account changes, asking questions, viewing balances, and, as of October 20, managing banking information online and signing up for pre?authorized debit services;
• The remittance thresholds for employer source deductions were revised to reduce the maximum number of payments that businesses are required to submit to the CRA, eliminating more than 800,000 payroll remittances for over 50,000 small and medium-sized e
  mployers;
• The CRA launched its first-ever mobile app, the Business Tax Reminders app, which allows small and medium-sized businesses to create custom reminders and alerts for dates related to instalment payments, returns, and remittances; and
• The new Liaison Officer Initiative was launched to help small and medium-sized businesses get their tax affairs right from the start through in-person support from CRA officers at key points in the business cycle.

As part of its focus on red tape reduction and better service, the CRA is also seeking business views on improving the clarity and simplicity of its communications. A concise and consistent plain language approach to the millions of notices and letters sent to Canadians will help to ensure business and individual taxpayers are better supported in meeting their tax obligations and accessing the benefits to which they may be entitled.

The CRA works closely with many stakeholder associations on its red tape reduction agenda, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, and the Canadian Payroll Association.