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OTO Annual report now available
On 28 November 2023, Canada’s Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson, Mr. François Boileau, released his annual report, Upholding Your Rights, which was tabled in the House of Commons by Ms. Iqra Khalid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue. The report provides an overview of the activities of the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson (OTO) between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023.
The report details the impact the OTO has by identifying Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) service issues and the trends in complaints. It also includes four recommendations to the Minister of National Revenue and the Chair of the Board of Management to improve the CRA’s service to Canadians.
During the period covered, we continued to receive significantly more complaints than in years before the COVID‑19 pandemic, and we noticed they are more and more complex. We did, however, receive fewer complaints than in 2021-2022. Similar to the previous fiscal year, many of the complaints were related to delays in receiving COVID‑19 benefits. As well, approximately 17% of complaints related to Right 5 of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which states that Canadians have the right to be treated professionally, courteously, and fairly by the CRA.
The annual report uses the framework of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights to highlight the OTO’s work to improve the CRA’s services for all Canadians. It also places a focus on our efforts to reach out to vulnerable populations to hear their perspectives. The report concludes with an update on the OTO’s recommendations from its 2021–2022 annual report and the work the CRA has done to make sure it respects taxpayers’ rights.
To read the full article and the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson’s recommendations, kindly click here.
Source: The Office of the Taxpayer's Ombudsperson, Canada
