Minister Shea congratulates the Taxpayers' Ombudsman for five successful years promoting the rights of Canadian taxpayers

Ottawa, Ontario, May 23, 2013... The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue, and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, today celebrated that Canadians have been served for five successful years by J. Paul Dubé, Canada’s first Taxpayers’ Ombudsman.

“In 2006, our Government made a firm commitment to support Canadian taxpayers,” said Minister Shea. “We followed through by introducing both the Taxpayer Bill of Rights and the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman. I am pleased to see the Office’s clear record of success in representing the interests of Canadian taxpayers and working with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).”

The Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman operates independently from the CRA and was established to uphold taxpayer service rights and to provide an impartial review of unresolved service complaints from taxpayers. In 2008, Mr. Dubé was the first person to be appointed to the position of Taxpayers’ Ombudsman.

“Today we are pleased to celebrate the fifth anniversary of my office, and the results we continue to achieve in helping Canadians obtain the fair treatment they are entitled to from the CRA. We are also pleased to celebrate the impact my office has had, and will continue to have, on the resolution of CRA service issues,” said Mr. Dubé. “In our role, we take great pride in making a difference in the lives of Canadians by making sure the Taxpayer Bill of Rights is respected.”

The Taxpayer Bill of Rights outlines 15 rights and includes a five-point commitment from the CRA to small business. It was established to help taxpayers understand what they can expect in their dealings with the CRA: that they will be treated fairly and receive high standards of service in all of their interactions with the CRA.

Since its establishment, the Office has resolved hundreds of requests for assistance from taxpayers. In addition, Mr. Dubé and his office have published six special reports providing the Minister with recommendations to address many important service issues, from misallocated payments to how the public is provided with information on the tax-free savings account. All of the recommendations put forward by the Ombudsman have been accepted by the Government, and the CRA has taken steps to enhance its services as a result.

The Harper Government remains focused on the priorities that Canadians care most about, as recently outlined by the Prime Minister: ensuring that the rights of Canadian taxpayers are promoted by the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman supports Canadian families and their personal financial security.

For more information about the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman, go to www.taxpayersrights.gc.ca.

For more information on the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, go to www.cra.gc.ca/rights.


Canada Revenue Agency

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