Canada Revenue Agency employee accesses tax file without authorization

A complainant alleged that the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) contravened the Privacy Act when an employee accessed his tax file without authorization in 2005 and 2006. The complainant became suspicious after community members showed knowledge of his financial information. An audit trail report revealed that a CRA employee had accessed his T1 tax account twice, viewing sensitive personal information including his Social Insurance Number, income, and family details. The OPC's investigation confirmed that the employee accessed the account without authorization and beyond the scope of their duties. The complaint was found to be well-founded, and CRA confirmed the employee no longer has access to taxpayer information.