From: AlanBaggett@volcanomail.com   
      
   Letter: The Canada Revenue Agency has a public-image problem : CRA SOTW   
      
   Special to Montreal Gazette    
   Published on: January 26, 2015    
      
   The Canada Revenue Agency headquarters in Ottawa.   
      
   Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS   
      
   Re: "Tax agency wants a better public image" (Montreal Gazette, Jan. 19)   
      
   Almost every Canadian has some interaction with the Canada Revenue Agency and   
   should already be well placed to determine if the agency is doing a good job.   
   The fact that the CRA feels it necessary to (spend taxpayers money to) create   
   a web page to    
   improve its public image is a sure sign that it is not doing a good job.   
      
   However bad the CRA's image may be, it is certainly better than it deserves.   
   Anyone who doubts this fact should look up the recent case of Leroux v. Canada   
   Revenue Agency in the B.C. Superior Court, which documents an egregious abuse   
   of power. In essence    
   the CRA issued reassessments totalling $600,000, after interest and penalties,   
   when in fact the taxpayer was judged to be owed a refund of $25,000. The   
   judge's ruling against the CRA found that the CRA owed taxpayers a "duty of   
   care" and should not treat    
   them in a negligent and unfair manner. Currently the CRA is appealing this   
   decision and asserting that it does not owe a duty of care to taxpayers.   
      
   Even Revenue Quebec, in the service statement in its income tax guide, accepts   
   that it must treat taxpayers courteously and fairly, using clear and simple   
   language. It is most telling that there are no equivalent statements in the   
   CRA income tax guide.   
      
   Rather than wasting money on a web page, the CRA should improve its image by   
   dropping its appeal of the Leroux decision and accepting that it has a duty of   
   care and must treat taxpayers fairly.   
      
   Derek Wisdom, Anjou   
      
      
      
   ----------------------------------------------------------   
   Miss a Tax Tale Miss a lot!   
   Visit the CRA SOTW Library at http://canada.revenue.agency.angelfire.com   
      
   ------------------------------------------------------------   
   Alan Baggett - http://www.taxcollectorsbible.com/ - Tax Collector's Bible   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)