Federal government appoints first tax ombudsman
Last Updated: Thursday, February 21, 2008 | 6:04 PM CT
CBC News
Related
External Links
(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window)
If you have a complaint about your taxes, the federal government wants to hear about it.
National Revenue Minister Gordon O'Connor is creating an independent office to hear complaints about the Canada Revenue Agency, he announced in Winnipeg Thursday.
Taxpayers' ombudsman Paul Dubé, an Ottawa lawyer, will hear complaints from the public and report to the minister each year about possible policy changes, O'Connor said.
"The ombudsman is not going to help relieve you from your taxes. You still pay your legitimate taxes. What he's going to help you with is service," O'Connor told reporters.
The new office will have dozens of investigators who will look into complaints about Canada Revenue Agency.
"We would handle complaints about undue delays, incorrect information from the CRA or the behaviour of CRA employees," Dubé said.
Canadian Taxpayers Federation spokeswoman Adrienne Batra praised the appointment, saying they receive many complaints about the tax department.
"They are being poorly treated, they have been disrespected. They feel they are being unfairly assessed in some cases. Some of the complaints, of course, they are a bit frivolous but for the most part, at the very least now we have someone whom we can direct taxpayers to as an outlet, and hopefully impartial," Batra said.
The Union of Taxation Employees, which represents CRA workers, said there are relatively few complaints from the public.
Union president Betty Bannon has yet to meet with the new ombudsman, but said she hopes to soon.
"We'll watch and see what he does and how he reacts. Hopefully he'll want to meet the union, introduce himself and give us an idea where he's coming from."
Share Tools
Latest Manitoba News Headlines
- Missing boater may have struck reef, police say
- A boater who has been missing since Tuesday may have struck a reef, police say, adding a search for the man is continuing. more »
- Crime spree ends with 46 break-in charges
- Police in Winnipeg think they have caught the person behind a string of early-morning break-ins, where a vehicle was used to smash into businesses. more »
- RCMP to close labs in Halifax, Winnipeg, Regina
- The RCMP is closing forensic laboratories in Halifax, Winnipeg and Regina and consolidating them with three others in a move the force says will lead to faster, more efficient service. more »
- Winnipeg's Union Station to get facelift
- The 100-year-old Union Station in Winnipeg is set to get a $6.5 million facelift. more »
Top News Headlines
- Dozens of children die in Syria massacre, activists say
- More than 90 people have been killed by regime forces in a district of central Syria, activists say, and as many as half the victims may have been children. more »
- Aylmer triple stabbing leads to first-degree murder charges

- The estranged partner of a young mother who was stabbed to death along with her parents at their home in Aylmer, Que., has been charged with first-degree murder Friday. more »
- Severe storm in Quebec leaves damage in its wake
- Trees were uprooted, roofs damaged and windows shattered as severe thunderstorms, and possibly a tornado, rattled through southwestern Quebec Friday night. more »
- The risks and responsibilities of taking on Mt. Everest

- The deaths of five climbers last weekend on Mt. Everest, with more summits underway this weekend, fuels the debate about the risks and responsibilities of high altitude climbing. more »
- Winnipeg WWE wrestler Chris Jericho suspended after flag incident
- Crime spree ends with 46 break-in charges
- Outhouse bear attack survivor was grabbed from 'throne'
- Missing boater may have struck reef, police say
- First-time homebuyers find frustration in Winnipeg
- Kelvin High School celebrates 100 years
- Winnipeg's Union Station to get facelift
- RCMP to close labs in Halifax, Winnipeg, Regina
- MPI asked to cover tab for officers' overtime

