Minister Findlay highlights the Harper Government’s support for Canadian taxpayers

Edmonton, Alberta, August 23, 2013...The Honourable Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of National Revenue, and Mr. J. Paul Dubé, Taxpayers’ Ombudsman, today met with members of the local business community in Edmonton to discuss the Government of Canada’s commitment to supporting the rights of Canadian taxpayers.

In June 2013, the Harper Government announced the addition of a new right to the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Under the new right, if taxpayers lodge a service complaint or request a formal review, they can be confident that they will be treated impartially, receive the benefits, credits, and refunds to which they are entitled and pay no more and no less than what is required by law.

“Our Government is committed to ensuring that all Canadians are treated with fairness and respect by the Canada Revenue Agency,” said Minister Finlay. “We want Canadians to know they are entitled to fair treatment without fear of reprisal, and that the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman is there to ensure their service rights are upheld.”

While there is no evidence that Canadians have been subject to reprisal by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman heard during his outreach activities that taxpayers would sometimes hesitate to lodge a complaint for fear of being treated differently.

This new right reflects the Government’s commitment to taxpayer fairness and to further strengthen public confidence in the tax administration. It provides Canadians with added assurance that they can bring their concerns to the CRA and trust that they will be investigated fully and impartially.

The Harper Government has demonstrated a firm commitment to support taxpayers in their dealings with the CRA by creating the Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsman in 2007, which 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.

Mr. Dubé was the first person to be appointed to the position of Taxpayers’ Ombudsman and this year celebrated his five year anniversary as the Ombudsman.

“Although my office works at arms-length from the CRA, we share the same goal of a tax system that serves Canadians with integrity,” said Mr. Dubé. “The Taxpayer Bill of Rights has a very important role in Canada’s tax system and it is the responsibility of my office to ensure that the service rights within the Bill are respected. I am pleased that the CRA has responded to my office’s recommendation to strengthen the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, and we will continue to collaborate on ways to better serve Canadians.”

Since its establishment, the Office has resolved thousands of requests for assistance from taxpayers.

“I am pleased to see the Office’s dedication to serve Canadians and I am proud of our collaborative work over the last five years,” said Minister Findlay. “I look forward to building on this success in the years to come”.

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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