CRA - Your rights during an Audit

Getting audited by the CRA is normal.  Having to produce documents to support your taxes is normal.  Getting unfairly treated by the CRA is NOT!

Sometimes you have to push to get things straightened out.  Here are some tips.  Make sure to get the team leaders phone number.  All auditors report to a team leader.  All team leaders report to a section manager.  All section managers report to the director of audit for the specific office they work at.  If comes down to it the director of audit reports to the director of the office.  The point of all this is to point out that everybody has a boss, and if you go high enough you can get satisfaction so long as you have a legitimate problem that is being ignored or mishandled.

These phone numbers are available by calling the CRA directly and asking.  You can also write a letter to the person directly (just by naming their position, ie. attention director of audit).  I can guarantee that a letter to the director of audit will yield results in a hurry.  If not writing a letter to the office director (attention director Calgary TSO) will set a fire under some @$$es.  Should this fail you can alway send a letter to your MP or the Minister of National Revenue whose contact info is available directly from the CRA and or Government of Canada websites.

It is important to be polite and to the point when explaining your issues and why they have not been resolved.  Don't babble on about things.  Explain who, what, where, when, why, and how, in a concise and precise fashion.

Guess what?  Its story time!!!!!

Current situation.  We have been getting dicked around by the CRA on a file. "Yes it can happen to us too."  The current auditor wants to close the file without properly resolving it.  the auditor did not want to give us their team leaders name or contact number, and did not have the information on their voice mail.  As stated above, their are ways to get the contact info even if the auditor won't give it to you.  We have that information now, and made a call to the team leader.  The team leader called back and listened as we explained the situation in a precise and concise manner.  Just the facts and what happened.  The team leader informed us that he needed to review the file in light of our information and that he would be taking time to review and assess.  We believe that this will lead to the outcome we want.  If not we will continue up the chain of command.  In this case as with most, I know we are right.  My threats to go higher are NOT because I am arrogant, but because given my years of CRA audit experience I know i am right.  I'll be damned if i am going to let a client get screwed on my watch.

There will be a follow up with details of what happened and the outcome once things are sorted out.  Needless to say i suspect i will be gloating about winning again.  Until then the booyah happy dance will have to wait.