Over the years, many Canadians have come to look upon the federal government as a money-pit that’s designed to separate them from their hard-earned dollars.

Taxpayers see government waste and poor programs all around them and are understandably upset by what they see. A new initiative just announced by Minister of National Revenue Carol Skelton and Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty treats Canadian taxpayers with respect by seeing them as part of a team that provides goods and services from coast to coast. The Taxpayer Bill of Rights intends to make the Canada Revenue Agency more accountable to Canadians, and not the other way around.

We will also be creating a Taxpayers’ Ombudsman who will try to ensure Canadians receive fair treatment and respect from the Canada Revenue Agency. With these two initiatives, Canadians should have a stronger, bolder voice in taxation matters.

The Taxpayer Bill of Rights contains 15 rights to guide the Canada Revenue Agency in serving Canadians with accuracy, professionalism, courtesy and fairness. Too often in the past, some taxpayers found dealing with the agency to be confrontational, and they felt alone in the financial wilderness.

The Taxpayer Bill of Rights includes five long-overdue commitments from the agency for small business. The small business sector is the engine of the Canadian economy and it has become mired in an expensive and time-consuming paper-burden. Helping small business will let employers concentrate more on maximizing profit, and less on the burden of taxation compliance.

The federal government realizes that taxpayers are more likely to comply with tax laws if they feel they are being treated fairly. The government needs tax revenues to keep programs strong. The onus is on us to show Canadians that their taxes are spent for the common good. The new Taxpayer Bill of Rights provides statutory and service rights that should benefit everyone.

The statutory provisions include a taxpayer’s right to a formal review and subsequent appeal, the right not to pay disputed income taxes prior to an impartial review, relief from penalties and interest for extraordinary circumstances, and entitlements to pay no more or less than the law requires. The Taxpayer Bill of Rights provides an opportunity for the Canada Revenue Agency to demonstrate compassion.

As part of a new system of checks and balances, the Taxpayers’ Ombudsman will provide accountability for taxpayer complaints about the Canada Revenue Agency. The ombudsman will hopefully be in place by the fall to provide independent and impartial input at arm’s length from the agency. The Taxpayers’ Ombudsman will review service-related complaints and make sure the Taxpayer Bill of Rights is upheld. It is the final level of review in the complaint resolution process.

The government has already introduced the Tax Fairness Plan and the Anti-Tax Haven Initiative. The new Taxpayer Bill of Rights should help the Canada Revenue Agency provide Canadians with service that is more prompt and fair. As always, I welcome letters from my constituents with suggestions on how to make the tax system more user-friendly in the future.

More information is available on the Taxpayer Bill of Rights on the Internet at www.cra.gc.ca/rights.

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