The Canada Revenue Agency announced the approval of increased working hours for employees due to the significant backlog of phone calls.

The change was implemented following a request from the Taxpayer Ombudsman to prevent callers from being blocked when trying to reach the Canada Revenue Agency's call center during regular service hours.

The Taxpayer Ombudsman's office stated in a press release that it found the Canada Revenue Agency's phone system was preventing callers from reaching an agent if the call center was not open in the time zone associated with the caller's phone number, according to what the office reported.

Currently, the tax inquiry lines for individuals and businesses under the Canada Revenue Agency are open from Monday to Friday, and the call center has been open from Monday to Friday.

In this regard, Taxpayer Ombudsman François Boileau stated that this change provides equal access for Canadians across Canada.

He also stated that this change is a win for taxpayers, as not everyone changes their phone number after they move, and this should not limit their access to services from the Canada Revenue Agency.