As part of the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) commitment to improving services for Canadians, the Liaison Officer Initiative (LOI) helps businesses more easily understand and fulfill their tax obligations—like filing income tax returns or registering for GST/HST. The LOI focuses on small businesses, especially those that are just starting out, by providing them with in-person support and information to help them avoid possible tax problems.
The LOI was piloted across the country during 2014–2015, and feedback from those who participated in the pilot is very positive: over 90% of respondents to an anonymous survey indicated that the initiative helped them and would help other businesses.
Today the CRA launched a video that promotes the benefits of the LOI for small businessesand encourages them to participate in the program. By meeting their tax obligations, businesses can avoid time-consuming reviews and audits and concentrate on growing their business. Currently, CRA offers liaison services to selected small business owners. However, in the fall of 2016, the CRA will pilot a new on-demand service in one tax services office (TSO) with the intention of later expanding this service to other TSOs.
For more information, please visit www.cra.gc.ca/loi.