| Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson
| statements
This year at the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson (OTO), we are celebrating our 15th anniversary. Since we began operations in 2008, our mission has been to help Canadians who are having service issues with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). We do this by examining complaints and by increasing awareness of their rights, namely under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Although the OTO is very small compared to the CRA, we have accomplished an impressive scale of work for our size.
| Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson
| news releases
OTTAWA, November 28, 2023 - Today, Canada’s Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson, Mr. François Boileau, released his annual report, Upholding Your Rights, which was tabled earlier today 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.
| Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson
| news releases
The Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson, Mr. François Boileau, sent a service improvement request to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), asking it to update its processes and its content on Ca-ciconline.com to make sure it respects Taxpayer Right 15 of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, “You have the right to be represented by a person of your choice.”
| Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson
| news releases
The Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson, Mr. François Boileau, has sent a service improvement request to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), asking it to update its information for Indigenous Peoples on Ca-ciconline.com.
| Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson
| news releases
OTTAWA, March 27, 2023 – Today, the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson, Mr. François Boileau, released Charity Begins with Fairness: More to Explore. This report is in response to the request made by the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, in August 2021, after the Government of Canada’s National Summit on Islamophobia. The Minister asked the Ombudsperson to examine concerns raised by certain Muslim-led charities, engage other registered charities led by racialized communities about their experiences with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), and clarify the CRA’s role in national security.
| Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson
| statements
Over the past years, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has been crucial to delivering benefits, especially COVID-19 benefits, to many Canadians, including those with low and moderate incomes. Although the paperwork can seem daunting, filing your tax return on time each year opens the door to the many benefits and credits you could be entitled to, such as the GST/HST credit and the Canada child benefit.
| Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson
| news releases
OTTAWA, January 24, 2023 – Today, the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson, Mr. François Boileau, released The Lockout: Communication Was the Key. This report examined the communications the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) provided to taxpayers after it locked out some users from their CRA accounts in mid-February 2021 in an effort to protect accounts that could have been compromised. Many affected taxpayers expressed concerns about the lack of clear and timely communication from the CRA.
