The Canada Revenue Agency’s tax information 1-800 telephone number rings busy. When I finally get through I wait more than 30 minutes to speak to someone who, it turns out, gives me the wrong answer to my tax question.
How do I know? I look it up again and again and something just wasn’t right. I called again; same thing, line is busy and when I finally get through again a few days later (again after waiting on hold forever), I get a similar but slightly different answer.
Not satisfied with the result, I try a different approach: the CRA online “My Account” service. I register but I have to wait 10 days for them to send me a “code” to finalize my online registration.
Once I finally get into My Account, the page that I want is unavailable, the help page for that page is a dead link and the “Change my Return” page for a previous tax year (same as using a T1 Adjustment paper form) states that it is currently experiencing “technical difficulties, try again later.”
I tried again later… and again and again and again.
Wow. It’s no wonder individuals and small businesses use professional tax preparers.
I personally don’t think I should pay someone to do my taxes because I am unable to get help. A person trying to be honest and file a complete and proper tax return is faced with the daunting task of figuring out all the legal-speak in the tax guide because the government… well, they are no help at all.
Gard Penny, Surrey
