CRA service standards have been set by the CRA to give you an idea how long it should take to receive a response to your submission.
The CRA service standards for 2017 & 2018 have been released and the turnaround times that Canadians can expect are as follows:
|
Document or Service |
Turnaround Time (Electronic Filings) |
Turnaround Time (Paper Filings) |
| T1 Personal Income Tax Returns | 2 weeks | 8 weeks |
| T2 Corporate Income Tax Returns | 6 weeks | 16 weeks |
| GST/HST Returns | 4 weeks | 8 weeks |
| T3 Trust Returns | N/A | 17 weeks |
| T1 Adjustment Requests | 2 weeks | 8 weeks |
| Benefit Applications (Canada Child Benefit, etc.) | 8 weeks | 11 weeks |
| Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) Expenditures Claims (refundable) | 120 calendar days from when they receive a complete claim | 120 calendar days from when they receive a complete claim |
| Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) Expenditures Claims (non-refundable) | 1 year from when they receive a complete claim | 1 year from when they receive a complete claim |
| Charity Registration Applications | N/A | 2 to 6 months depending on the complexity of the application |
| Other Written Requests from Charities | N/A | 45 to 120 calendar days depending on the complexity of the enquiry |
| GST/HST Rulings and Interpretations | N/A | 45 business days or longer, depending on the complexity of the enquiry |
| Advance Income Tax Rulings | N/A | 90 business days |
| Technical Interpretations | 90 business days from when they receive all the information required | 90 business days from when they receive all the information required |
| Taxpayer Relief (Requests to Waive Penalties and Interest Charged on Balances Owing) | 180 days | 180 days |
| Tax Objections | 180 days or longer, depending on the complexity of the objection | 180 days or longer, depending on the complexity of the objection |
| Service Complaints | 30 business days | 30 business days |
| Telephone Enquiries (individuals and businesses) | To respond within 2 minutes of calling in | N/A |
| Debt Management (Collections questions) | To respond within 1 minute of calling in | N/A |
| Authorize or Cancel a Representative (RC59 or T1013 forms) | 3 business days | 4 weeks |
It is important to remember that these are their guidelines and it may take longer to process requests that are more complex.
If you have received a letter from a specific department at the CRA (e.g. for Collections or Processing Reviews), be sure to contact them first for the most up-to-date information.
If a contact person is not provided and you still have questions regarding the status of a request, you can call the general enquiries line at:
- 1-800-959-8281 for personal income tax enquiries
- 1-800-959-5525 for business enquiries
For more detailed information on CRA Service Standards, click here.
If you would like more information or have any questions, feel free to contact us at 780.466.6204, or click here to send us an email.
Thanks to Stephanie Kwan of KWB Chartered Accountants for providing this content.
