The Honourable Gail Shea
Minister of National Revenue
House of Commons

Dear Minister:

I am writing to express the concerns that I have been hearing from constituents in my riding regarding the plan by Revenue Canada to discontinue the mail out of hard copy income tax filing documents.

Seniors in my riding, particularly those who are homebound or lack access to computers or high speed Internet service, will be seriously inconvenienced by this decision. One constituent who called Revenue Canada to complain about this change was reportedly told to go to a tax preparation centre (such as H&R Block) to have their taxes done. This response was totally inappropriate to a senior on a fixed income who is struggling to make ends meet.

I understand that people can call or email the Canada Revenue Agency to request that an income tax package be mailed to them. However, I am concerned that some seniors and others may be unaware of this service, or unable to access it due to physical or other challenges.

Minister, this is one of those situations in which a one-size-fits-all approach just does not work for everyone. As is usually the case, a vulnerable sector, in this case our seniors, is being left out of the equation. I would appreciate your response to the concerns expressed by those who feel that Revenue Canada is overlooking their needs by making hard copy income tax forms unavailable by mail.

Thank you for your attention to this critical issue.

Alex Atamanenko, MP
BC Southern Interior