Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The Canada Revenue Agency does not say that the Taxpayer Bill of Rights is not legislation. There is a taxpayers' ombudsman, but that person has no investigative power regarding right no. 3. The CRA is talking about a right devoid of substance.
This brings me to my second question.
What protection can taxpayers enjoy when they transfer their tax return using online platforms like UFile or H&R Block?
The confidentiality obligations set out in the Income Tax Act by which officials are bound do not apply to these tax return preparation platforms. They are not covered by any form of confidentiality. On its website, the CRA even invites taxpayers to file their tax returns online.
However, the CRA says on its own website that it does not consult the confidentiality policies of the software designers. According to the CRA, it is up to taxpayers to confirm those policies before buying or using a software package or application.
The CRA tells taxpayers to file their tax returns online, but it says that it has not investigated the software.
I have also analyzed the online contracts. They state that taxpayers assign all their rights to Google and Meta when they buy a software package online. That includes all their banking information, among other things.