Tax and Revenue Administration 2002 Client Survey Results

2002 CLIENT SURVEY RESULTS

Index

• Introduction
• Program Codes
• Client Selection for Surveys
• Scoring Methodology
• Client Survey Results and Comments by Program
• Five-Year Comparative Table of Client Survey Results for All Programs
• TRA Response to Survey Results
• TRA Contact

Introduction

Tax and Revenue Administration (TRA) conducts an annual survey to determine the satisfaction of its "clients" (the people who deal with TRA) with its administration of the tax and rebate programs, and with what it costs the clients to comply with the relevant legislation. The survey also provides space for comments and suggestions. Overall results of the surveys are included as performance measures in the departmental  business plans.

Program Codes

TRA administers the following fourteen tax and rebate programs.  For your reference, the programs’ codes that are used in the five-year comparative results table are also listed.

Client Selection for Surveys

TRA uses a random selection tool to send surveys to a portion of the clients in each tax or rebate program that has a client population exceeding 100.  Additionally, surveys are sent to all clients in each tax or rebate program with a population of 100 or less as well as all clients that were audited or had filed an objection, in the year, under any program.

The names of the persons to whom the surveys are sent is kept confidential and no marks or codes are placed on the surveys to trace the respondent’s identity.  

Scoring Methodology

In this year’s survey, the participants were asked to rate their level of satisfaction with factors relating to TRA’s service.  A six-point response scale was used to measure the level of satisfaction with each factor.  The scale included 6 Very Satisfied, 5 Satisfied, 4 Somewhat Satisfied, 3 Somewhat Unsatisfied, 2 Unsatisfied and 1 Very Unsatisfied.

The level of client satisfaction is expressed as “percentage satisfied”, which is the percentage of respondents that indicated a degree of satisfaction.  Using the six-point response scale, the “percentage satisfied” is the sum of the Very Satisfied, Satisfied and Somewhat Satisfied responses expressed as a percentage of all responses received for the question.  The responses for questions relating to a functional area within TRA (e.g. Enquiries/Publications) are averaged to calculate the functional area’s percentage satisfied score shown in the results.  If fewer than 5 people in a particular tax or rebate program answered a question, then the results for that question are not shown for that particular program because the result is not considered to be statistically relevant.   However, those answers are included in the overall results shown, which is a summary of all responses for all of the tax or rebate programs.

Client Survey Results and Comments by Program

For each program, the client survey results are broken down, by functional area within TRA, in bar graph form on a three-year comparative basis in the following PDF files.  A summary of the clients’ comments regarding the program is also included in the PDF files.  

• Corporate Income Tax (a PDF file)
• Insurance Corporations Tax (a PDF file)
• Alberta Royalty Tax Credit (a PDF file)
• Royalty Credit for Individuals and Trusts (a PDF file)
• Fuel Tax Collectors (a PDF file)
• Propane Fuel Tax Collectors (a PDF file)
• International Fuel Tax Agreement (a PDF file)
• Bulk Fuel Dealers (a PDF file)
• Propane Retailers (a PDF file)
• Tax Exempt Fuel Users (a PDF file)
• Tobacco Tax Collectors (a PDF file)
• Alberta Indian Tax Exemption (a PDF file)
• Hotel Room Tax (a PDF file)
• Health Cost Recovery (a PDF file)

Five-Year Comparative Table of Client Survey Results for All Programs

For program comparison purposes, the following PDF file is a table containing all programs’ client survey percentage satisfied results broken down by TRA functional area for the last five years.  The results shown in the table, for the years 1998 to 2001, have been restated to the “percentage satisfied” measure of client satisfaction that was adopted for use in 2002.

Five-Year Comparative Table of Client Survey Results for All Programs (a PDF file)

TRA Response to Survey Results

Since the surveys are not marked in any way to identify the respondent, a client who wished TRA to respond to their questions, comments or suggestions was requested to provide their name and contact information.  In such cases, the staff responsible for conducting the survey forwarded only the client’s concern and contact information to the appropriate TRA area for response.  Otherwise, no individual responses were provided.

The results, comments and suggestions are compiled by the staff conducting the survey and given in summary form to TRA. After they have been reviewed, TRA puts together an action plan to address the issues raised. In some cases, improvements can be made immediately; in other cases, the problem identified requires time and money to fix, and the solution can take several years.

Here are some examples of actions that have been taken recently or are underway, in response to comments and suggestions made on the 2001 and previous surveys:

• Conducted public stakeholder meetings with various industry and association representatives in relation to the Tax Exempt Fuel User Program;

• Participated in the Fuel Tax Reengineering Project with client groups and other tax jurisdictions; and

• Increased our complement of Special Constables, allowing for more active participation in joint compliance activities with other law enforcement agencies.

TRA Contact

For further information about TRA’s client survey, or about actions that have been taken or are planned for the future, call the Director, Tax Services at (780) 427-9425, or send a letter, fax or e-mail to TRA (e-mail address: tra.revenue@gov.ab.ca).