CRA CAN COMPEL TAXPAYERS TO SUBMIT TO ORAL INTERVIEWS

Pursuant to the newly enacted subparagraph 231.1(1)(d)(i) of the Income Tax Act, the CRA can now compel a taxpayer to submit to an oral interview. This is in response to recent jurisprudence (Cameco decision) which held that the older provision did not include that ability.

Keep in mind that no taxpayer should submit to any in-person interview alone, without counsel.

Information gathering

231.1 (1) An authorized person may, at all reasonable times, for any purpose related to the administration or enforcement of this Act,

(a) inspect, audit or examine any document, including books and records, of a taxpayer or any other person that may be relevant in determining the obligations or entitlements of the taxpayer or any other person under this Act;

(b) examine any property or process of, or matter relating to, a taxpayer or any other person, an examination of which may assist the authorized person in determining the obligations or entitlements of the taxpayer or any other person under this Act;

(c) enter any premises or place where any business is carried on, any property is kept, anything is done in connection with any business or any books or records are or should be kept, except that, if the premises or place is a dwelling-house, the authorized person may enter the dwelling-house without the consent of the occupant only under the authority of a warrant under subsection (3);

(d) require a taxpayer or any other person to give the authorized person all reasonable assistance, to answer all proper questions relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act and

(i) to attend with the authorized person, at a place designated by the authorized person, or by video-conference or by another form of electronic communication, and to answer the questions orally, and

(ii) to answer the questions in writing, in any form specified by the authorized person; and

(e) require a taxpayer or any other person to give the authorized person all reasonable assistance with anything the authorized person is authorized to do under this Act.