The Harper Government continues to help small businesses with red tape reduction measures

Vancouver, British Columbia, November 12, 2013 The Honourable Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament for Delta-Richmond East, today met with business community leaders at a roundtable event in Vancouver to highlight the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) many red tape reduction initiatives undertaken as part of its Red Tape Reduction Action Plan.

“Our government remains focused on the actions that have carried us through tough economic times: protecting jobs and the economy and keeping taxes low,” said Minister Findlay. “Talking to small businesses allows us to highlight significant changes we have made to reduce red tape and we are working hard to improve the CRA’s services, so that small and medium-sized businesses can more easily fulfill their tax obligations while saving time and money.”

The CRA’s Red Tape Reduction Action Plan lays out 12 commitments by the CRA to address the irritants businesses identified during the Red Tape Reduction Commission’s consultations in 2010, and further refined by the CRA’s own consultations in 2012.

Some highlights for 2013 are:

• A new CRA Red Tape Reduction Action plan webpage that gives businesses up-to-date information on the CRA’s progress.
• A new online mail service for Canadian small businesses. Businesses can now communicate with the CRA online, which will help streamline their interactions with the CRA.
• The My Business Account online enquiries service. Businesses or their representatives can ask the CRA tax-related questions about their accounts online and they will receive answers online and in writing.
• A one-stop-shop webpage for business services. Businesses can now easily find information and service options relevant to their tax situation.
• Agent ID for the CRA’s business enquiries telephone service. Now, when a business owner calls the CRA, the agent who answers provides an ID at the beginning of the call. The Agent ID number provides increased accountability for business calls to the CRA, ensures a consistent experience for callers, and makes it easier for business owners to give feedback on CRA services.

The CRA will continue to consult every two years with small businesses and small business service providers in cities across the country to seek their views on progress made and to ensure the Agency’s action plans remain relevant to small business needs.

For opportunities to participate in further consultations, please go to the CRA’s Red Tape Reduction webpage regularly, and stay connected by subscribing to our mailing lists and joining the conversation on Twitter. The CRA’s next consultation period will be in 2014.

Additionally, the Harper Government continues to help create jobs across all sectors of the economy, finalizing an agreement-in-principle between Canada and the European Union (EU) on a comprehensive economic and trade agreement, seizing a historic opportunity to gain preferential access to the largest market in the world—a market with over 500 million consumers and a gross domestic product of $17 trillion.

Minister Findlay noted that the Canada–EU trade agreement will generate prosperity and growth for all Canadian businesses, including small and medium-sized businesses, in every region of the country. It will help them to succeed abroad by making it easier and less costly for them to do business in the EU. The Canada–EU trade agreement will also help level the playing field in the EU, making Canadian small and medium-sized businesses more competitive, giving them a significant advantage over most third-party competitors.

Canada Revenue Agency

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