OTTAWA – Canada Revenue Agency Commissioner Bob Hamilton has recently made it clear that the Agency won’t be conducting a full review of the more than $15-billion in pandemic wage benefits that were sent to allegedly ineligible recipients. Hamilton argued that their existing “risk-based” approach to enforcement is enough, whereby they review a sample of cases that are deemed to be of concern.
However, Auditor-General Karen Hogan has argued that a more expansive review is warranted, given the limited safeguards that were in place to screen applications during the pandemic. She believes that a more aggressive approach is necessary to ensure that the benefits go to those who are rightly due them, and to protect taxpayers from abuse.
The CRA stands by its decision not to do a full review of the pandemic wage benefits, and called for extra caution to ensure that such benefits are not misused or abused. It is evident that a balance needs to be struck between ensuring that individuals receive the support they require and protecting taxpayers from potential fraud.
