Revenu Québec – Request for information: An unsatisfactory reply

Complaint

Revenu Québec was unable to give adequate information to a citizen who inquired about the tax credit for investment.

The citizen has a fast-food restaurant franchise. He applied for a tax credit for investment for some of the property acquired, but certain items were inadmissible.

He contacted Revenu Québec to find out about the criteria for determining property eligibility. The agent he talked to was not able to give him adequate explanations. Instead he told him that if he was dissatisfied, he could contest the decision.

The investigation

• In its service statement, Revenu Québec promises that, in handling client files and questions, it provides qualified staff who can consult experts in order to give clients the best information possible.
• The agent the citizen contacted should have taken the necessary steps so that a person from the section who was able to answer his questions about the tax credit for investment could contact him.

The Québec Ombudsman’s conclusions

Since the citizen wanted to know what the rules for the tax credit for investment were before contesting the decision, the Québec Ombudsman asked Revenu Québec to contact the citizen to give him the information he needed.

Revenu Québec agreed to act on the Québec Ombudsman’s request. A Revenu Québec employee contacted him the week after the request.