Workers at the Canada Revenue Agency are headed back to the office on Thursday — and the CRA has confirmed to TVO Today that Canadian taxpayers who filed on time and online can expect to receive their tax refund on schedule.
“This agreement is a testament to the tenacity of [union] members who held the line on fair wages and better working conditions,” the Union of Taxation Employees wrote in a press release announcing the tentative deal with the government.
CRA workers were the last members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada to remain on strike. As TVO Today reported earlier this week, issues over compensation, work-from-home policies, and job security kept UTE members on the picket line after other members of their parent union had returned to the office on Monday.
“The CRA wants to thank members of both bargaining teams for their dedication and hard work during this round of negotiations, and especially these past few weeks,” the government agency wrote in its own Thursday press release.
If you’re among the majority of Canadians who file online and you hit the deadline, check My Account on the CRA website for your assessment and the timing of any refund, spokesperson Adam Blondin told TVO in an email. It will be issued “without delay,” he wrote, “whether by direct deposit or by cheque.”
This TVO Today reporter filed on time and online, and a check of My Account confirms that her cheque is in the mail as expected.
But not everybody is going to be in this position, Blondin wrote: “There will be delays in processing some income tax and benefit returns, particularly those filed by paper.” He did stress, though, that if your paper return is postmarked on or before May 1, the CRA considers it to be filed on time.
Although the union and the government agency seem to have reached a consensus, the strike is going to have longer-term impacts, says University of Ottawa tax law professor Vern Krishna.
Many people have complex tax questions but don’t have access to an accountant or tax preparer. Without access to the CRA helpline and other resources, “they either file and file incorrectly, or they don’t file,” he says. “In both cases, there will be adverse consequences.”
There’s also the backlog created by two essential weeks in the tax cycle during which workers advocated for their labour on the picket instead of dealing with the tasks they’d normally be doing as everybody rushes to file. That will take time to get through, he says, and includes everything from reassessments to bargaining in tax court over amounts owed.
If your return is late, the CRA asks on its website that you file as soon as possible. For further information about ongoing delays related to labour action, consult the agency’s website.
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