Good afternoon, and thank you for the opportunity to appear before the committee to present the Canada Revenue Agency's interim estimates for 2018-19, and to answer any questions you may have on the associated funding.
As you are aware, the CRA is responsible for the administration of federal and certain provincial and territorial tax programs, as well as the delivery of a number of benefit payment programs.
Each year, the agency collects hundreds of billions of dollars of tax revenue for the governments of Canada, and distributes timely and accurate benefit payments to millions of Canadians.
In order to begin the 2018-19 fiscal year, the CRA is seeking a total of $822 million through these interim estimates. This represents the funding required to cover expected payments that will occur in the first quarter of the fiscal year for ongoing operations. This amount would have historically been included as part of the main estimates interim supply bill.
The funding being requested as part of the interim estimates is roughly one-quarter of the voted appropriations that will be sought by the CRA through the 2018-19 main estimates. It does not reflect incremental resources for announcements made by the Minister of Finance in the February 2018 budget. The funding required for the implementation and administration of these measures is currently being evaluated by the CRA, and will be presented to Treasury Board ministers through formal submissions in the coming months.
The resources being requested through these estimates will allow the CRA to continue to deliver on its mandate to Canadians by making it easier for the vast majority of taxpayers who want to pay their taxes, and more difficult for the small minority who do not, as well as ensuring that Canadians have ready access to the information they need about taxes or benefits.
To give you a sense of the kinds of programs this funding supports, let me touch on some service improvements the CRA introduced last year.
At the beginning of the year, the 2017 T1 tax forms and guides were mailed directly to the homes of Canadians who filed paper returns in 2016. People no longer need to pick up guides and forms to fulfill their tax obligations at service centres, which is helpful for people with mobility problems, or who live in remote areas.
Also, in January 2018, the CRA launched an automated phone system called File My Return. This phone system helps more than 950,000 Canadians, particularly those with low incomes or fixed incomes. After identifying themselves on the phone system, the users will answer a series of short questions, and their income tax returns will be filed. For people using this system, there is no need to fill out forms, or make complicated calculations.
The CRA continues to promote another Canada-wide program called the community volunteer income tax program, and a Quebec component called the volunteer program. Through these programs, trained volunteers help people file their income tax returns and receive benefits and credits to which they're entitled. These free clinics serve people with low incomes and simple tax situations, including seniors, students, indigenous people, newcomers, and people with disabilities. These programs help ensure Canadians receive what they are entitled to, in ways that are respectful, and meet the needs of individuals, while at the same time helping people meet the obligations of the Income Tax Act.
At this time, we would be pleased to respond to any questions you may have. Thank you.