Over 20,000 people sign the petition, as wait for CRA hotlines stretch into hours.
With the deadline for Canadians to file their taxes just days away, some accountants are worried that the public servants’ strike could cause low-income taxpayers to miss out on filing and securing access to the benefits they rely on.
The strike of more than 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency employees has made it much more difficult to reach out to government experts, with some services suspended and others seeing prolonged delays.
“People don’t have three or four hours in their day to sit there and wait on the CRA to answer their phone calls,” said Eric Saumure, a chartered accountant with Zenbooks.
“The CRA does have a mandate to help Canadians file their taxes appropriately, and the CRA agents just aren’t there to help.”
Saumure channeled that frustration into a petition that urges the government to extend its deadline to June 15, when those who are self-employed are required to file their returns.
By late Monday, it was nearing 25,000 signatures.
The government agency has encouraged people to file online, so their returns can be processed automatically. But Saumure and d’Orgeville said that’s not easy for everyone.
He adds, “if you file in May, you’re probably OK to get your benefit on time in July. If you file in June, you’re probably too late. So we’re going to try to submit as many taxes as possible for people who need our help.”