Have you
ever had a situation where CRA treated you unfairly? Dealing with CRA can be very intimidating
experience and you did not know that you had another option for better
resolution. It is Taxpayers’ Ombudsman.
The
Taxpayers' Ombudsman is an independent and impartial officer who reviews
complaints from people who believe they have been treated unfairly or
unprofessionally by the Canada Revenue Agency.
As a tax
payer you have following eight basic rights that are included in the Tax Payer
Bill of Rights.
·
the
right to be treated professionally, courteously, and fairly (Taxpayer Bill of
Rights, Article 5);
·
the
right to complete, accurate, clear, and timely information from the CRA
(Taxpayer Bill of Rights, Article 6);
·
the
right to lodge a service complaint and to be provided with an explanation of
the CRA findings (Taxpayer Bill of Rights, Article 9);
·
the
right to have the costs of compliance taken into account when tax legislation
is administered (Taxpayer Bill of Rights, Article 10);
·
the
right to expect the CRA to be accountable (Taxpayer Bill of Rights, Article
11);
·
the
right to expect the CRA to publish service standards and report annually
(Taxpayer Bill of Rights, Article 13);
·
the
right to expect the CRA to warn you about questionable tax schemes in a timely
manner (Taxpayer Bill of Rights, Article 14); and
·
the
right to be represented by a person of your choice (Taxpayer Bill of Rights,
Article 15).
It is Taxpayer’s Ombudsman’s responsibility to
ensure CRA actually complies with these basic rights.
Before you file a service-related complaint with
the Taxpayers' Ombudsman, follow these steps:
1. Try to resolve the issue with
the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) employee you have been dealing with or phone
the number you've been given.
2. If you are not satisfied,
speak with the employee's supervisor.
Submit a complaint
If you are not satisfied with the way your
service-related complaint was handled by the CRA, submit the details of your
complaint to the Taxpayers' Ombudsman using the Taxpayers' Ombudsman - Complaint Form.
Print your complete complaint form and send it
along with any supporting documentation by fax to 1-866-586-3855 or by
mail to:
Office of the Taxpayers'
Ombudsman
50 O'Connor Street, Suite 724
Ottawa ON K1P 6L2
Canada
