SP-04 Taxpayer Services Agents - Ontario Region (Amended)

For a description of key terms used on CRA job notices, go to Definitions for job seekers.

The CRA is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment with a diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. It starts with the hiring process. To find out more about the CRA's actions in support of Employment Equity (EE), diversity and inclusion (DI), and read testimonials from our employees and executives, please visit the following CRA web sites: Employment equity, diversity and inclusion and Our workforce testimonials - Canada.ca.

We encourage you to complete the EEDI Staffing questionnaire as part of your application if you wish to be considered for appointments using the EE and/or DI staffing requirement in this process. Also, ensure that you have provided consent in the EEDI staffing questionnaire for your EEDI information to be used for screening or selection. If you do not complete the questionnaire, you will not be considered for any appointments using the EE and/or DI staffing requirement in this process. If you decide to modify your response or fill out this questionnaire at a later date, please notify the contact listed at the bottom of this notice of job opportunity.

The duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:

• Communicating with taxpayers and representatives both verbally (on the phone) and in writing, which includes answering inbound/outbound telephone enquiries.
• Receiving, reviewing, analyzing, and researching taxpayer information from internal and external sources to identify and resolve taxpayer accounts requiring corrective action.
• Researching, analyzing, interpreting, and applying legislative and regulatory provisions, policies and guidelines.
• Reviewing and directing enquiries or issues to the appropriate area for resolution.
• Preparing reports, letters, and other documents.
• Reviewing, planning, organizing, prioritizing, and working on an assigned workload.
• Participating in projects designed to enforce identified areas of non-compliance.
   

Taxpayer Services Agents offer quality client service to meet taxpayers' (individuals and businesses) and benefit recipients' needs. As an Agent, you must demonstrate courtesy, empathy and professionalism.

Due to the nature of this work, consistent and strict adherence to start and finish times, lunch and break times is required.

This position will require the use of a headset for prolonged periods and constant exposure to a computer screen. Work conditions require adapting to change, dealing with stress and challenging situations.
 

Important information about this position:

Successful candidates are expected to reside within reasonable commuting distance (124 kilometres or less) from one of the following CRA locations:

• Barrie, Ontario
• Belleville, Ontario
• Hamilton, Ontario
• Kingston, Ontario
• Kitchener, Ontario
• London, Ontario
• Mississauga, Ontario
• Oshawa, Ontario
• Peterborough, Ontario
• Scarborough, Ontario
• St. Catharines, Ontario
• Sudbury, Ontario
• Thunder Bay, Ontario
• Toronto, Ontario
• Windsor, Ontario
   

Virtual reporting outside of these locations is not possible.

Employees are required to work on-site at a CRA-approved location a minimum of three days per week or 60% of their regular monthly work schedule. Individual exceptions may be granted based on individual circumstances and the nature of the work being performed.

Hours of work vary with the position being staffed:

• Hours of work and schedules may frequently fluctuate. Agents must be available to work all scheduled hours as schedules are matched to call demand and could be changed as needed.
• The Contact Centre hours of operation are Monday to Friday between 8:00 am to 6:00 pm; however, they may be subject to change to meet operational requirements.

Please consider this before applying as shift preference may not be granted.
 

What to expect when applying to this process:

The purpose of this process is to staff various term (temporary) positions at the Individual and Benefit Enquiries Contact Centre (IBECC) and Business Enquiries Contact Centre (BECC) in the Ontario Region. No permanent offers will be made from this staffing process.

A list of partially or fully qualified candidates may be created and used to staff similar positions within the Ontario Region.

As there is an immediate need to staff these positions, applications will be processed when they are received.  For this reason, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.  Note that the closing date and time on this notice of job opportunity may change. 

Assessments will take place in waves, and you may be placed in a pool and appointed accordingly. Additional candidates may be considered as needed. If you are considered further, we will notify you in writing of the next step in this staffing process.
 

Why work at the CRA?

In addition to competitive salaries starting at $33.41 per hour for SP-04, we offer some of the most sought-after benefits:

• A comprehensive health care plan covering medical, prescription, vision, dental, out-of-province medical expenses and access to an employee assistance program (EAP).
• An advantageous defined benefit pension plan.
• Ongoing training to reach your full potential and career development opportunities supported by an inspiring leadership team.
• A workplace that supports a diverse workforce and talent development.

Who can apply

Any individual residing in Canada, and Canadian citizens and permanent residents residing abroad.

Preference for appointment will be given to veterans first, followed by Canadian citizens, and permanent residents.

If you are a candidate from the general public, you will have to pay for any expenses related to your participation in this staffing process, as well as any relocation costs if you receive an offer of employment from this process.

Qualified members and former members of the Canadian Armed Forces who receive an offer of employment are not entitled to relocation costs from the CRA. They may, however, be entitled to a final relocation from the Department of National Defence.

You must complete the application independently without external help, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools (for example, Copilot, ChatGPT or any other form of AI). You may be asked to explain or elaborate on your answers in a follow-up interview. Any violation may be investigated and could result in the rejection of your application. 
 

Education

• The CRA's Minimum education standard for SP-04

Successful completion of a secondary school diploma or CRA-approved alternatives.

If you possess education above the secondary school level, please upload your highest credential, as it may be used as an asset staffing requirement.
 

Proof of Education:

Candidates are responsible to ensure that clear and legible electronic copies of their education credentials are uploaded as attachments into the education factor(s) in the education section of their candidate profile. Failure to do so by the closing of this notice of job opportunity may result in your application not being given further consideration.

Note: Your name in your candidate profile of the Integrated Staffing System (ISS) should match the name on your government issued photo ID and your education credentials. If it does not, please correct your name in your candidate profile by logging in to the Careers website or contact the staffing board with any questions/concerns. If your education credentials show a different or former name, please provide proof of legal name change. Failure to upload and/or to provide supporting document(s) will result in your application not being considered further.
 

Foreign education credentials and designations

Please note: If you have education credentials or designations completed outside of Canada, please review the following link for additional documentation requirements:  Foreign education credentials and designations.

If you have foreign education credentials, you must have your education credentials confirmed by a recognized credential assessment service and provide proof of Canadian equivalency to the staffing board. For more information, visit the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials.

Any applicable fees are your responsibility.
 

Essential staffing requirements

Experience:

At least six (6) consecutive months of experience* within the last twenty-four (24) months delivering client, customer or public service in a call-centre or professional environment.

AND

At least six (6) consecutive months of experience* within the last twenty-four (24) months using computer technologies including but not limited to: Microsoft Office software or equivalent (Microsoft Excel, Outlook, Word), PDFs, Internet search engines.

*Experience may include but is not limited to experience such as: Responding to customer or client enquires; providing recommendations or solutions to customers; initiating contact with customers or clients to collect necessary information; gathering, analyzing and compiling information to create documents or reports; and working with computer applications or systems to document information in support of customer or client service.
 

Candidates must have the required experience by the submission date of their application.

Preference may be given to candidates who have the following:

• At least six (6) months of consecutive experience working in a call center or contact center environment.
• Experience providing internal or external support services in an accounting, financial or credit/loan evaluation field.

If you have a limitation that may impact your performance during an assessment, such as a test or interview, you may require an accommodation, and we encourage you to ask for it. Assessment accommodations are designed to remove the obstacles without altering the criteria being assessed so candidates with limitations can fully demonstrate their abilities. If we invite you to be assessed, we will send you more information on how to request accommodation measures throughout this staffing process.

Each request will be individually reviewed. You will be asked to provide information regarding your limitations to be reviewed by a trained assessment accommodation advisor. If needed, professional documentation may be requested to determine the appropriate accommodation measures.  All information will be kept confidential. 

For examples of assessment accommodations, please visit: Accommodation during an assessment as a candidate.

The results of locally developed assessments are not transferable to other staffing processes.

You must be successful in each assessment in order to continue to the next assessment and further in this process.

Note: A top down approach may be invoked at any stage in this process to limit numbers of candidates or for appointment purposes.

You are expected to make yourself available for assessment when scheduled. Assessments will only be rescheduled for exceptional circumstances and supporting documentation may be requested by the Staffing Board. The Staffing Board will make these decisions on a case by case basis. Candidates from the general public are responsible for travel expenses (if any) incurred to attend assessments.

We may limit the number of candidates to be considered further in this staffing process by using a top-down approach to select candidates with the best results achieved on the essential assessment.
 

Minimum staffing requirements:

• Language requirements:
  • English
  • Bilingual (English and French) (CBC/CBC).
• Performance validation, if required 
• Suitability*

*If you are a former CRA employee and your most recent CRA employment period ended in one of the following ways, a case-by-case review will be conducted to determine if the reason(s) for your end of CRA employment impact(s) your ability to meet the staffing requirements for the positions being staffed through this staffing process:

1. Rejection on probation
2. Termination of employment for incompetence
3. Termination of employment for misconduct
    

Essential staffing requirements:

To be eligible, you must meet the following requirements:

• Ability to communicate effectively – verbal communication
• Ability to communicate effectively – written communication
• Ability to research, interpret and apply policies and procedures
• Demonstrates professionalism in all communications and interactions throughout the staffing process
• Start date

Asset staffing requirements:

• Dependability
• Client service orientation   
• Specific experience* related to position being staffed
• Additional education – a degree/diploma from a recognized post-secondary institution
• Training
• Budgetary considerations
• Duration of appointment
• Minimize business disruption
• Employment Equity

*Experience may be further defined by specified timelines or activities/duties at the appointment stage. You will be notified in advance of any additional asset staffing requirements to be utilized.

Asset staffing requirements may be used at any stage of the staffing process, including to screen applications for further consideration or to identify a candidate for a position. Make sure you clearly describe how you meet the asset staffing requirement(s), if applicable, in your application.
 

Conditions of employment:

• Reliability and Security: Reliability Status
• Willingness to work overtime.
• Willingness to work on evenings and/or on weekend and/or stat holidays, including a flexible schedule which may involve various shifts.
• Willingness to take and successfully complete training (including virtual training where required).
• Successful applicants interested in positions must be available to attend full-time training each day (37.5 hrs/week) Monday to Friday, as required. This training may be onsite or via virtual technology.
• Candidates eligible to telework who are offered positions via this process will be required to attend the office periodically for training, meetings, or in the event of equipment issues.
• Complete orientation prior to the start of virtual training.
• Complete on-the-job training after virtual training.
• Ability to set up and maintain CRA issued computer and telephone equipment.

Operational Requirements:

• Willingness to work in a Contact Centre environment which is limited to only telephone work.
• Willingness and ability to work on the telephone (using a head set) for extended periods of time; both outbound and inbound calls.
• Willingness to work in an environment where difficult conversations with clients may occur in daily interactions.

Successful candidates may be required to complete reference checks before receiving an offer letter.

We encourage you to read Important information on staffing at the CRA to find out more about staffing processes and how to apply.

CRA employees support the economic and social well-being of Canadians, and build public trust. We have high expectations, and our employees are held to the standards of conduct outlined in our Code of integrity and professional conduct and Directive on conflict of interest, gifts and hospitality, and post-employment.

Plan ahead! Collecting required security screening documents can take time, we recommend starting this process early. More information available at:

Applying for Government of Canada jobs: after you apply - Canada.ca

Definitions of key terms

To simplify some of the language you will find on our job posters are available at:

• Important information on staffing at the CRA
• Definitions for job seekers - Canada.ca

Name: SP04 Ontario Region Staffing Team
Email address: SP04StaffingProcess-ProcessusdedotationSP04@cra-arc.gc.ca  

Please quote requisition number 62049677 on all correspondence.

IMPORTANT: You must apply online. Emailed applications will NOT be accepted.