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Taxpayer Bill of Rights

As the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, I know that our state's vibrant economy is not the result of luck; it is the result of your hard work, your initiative and your investment in our state. That hard work, initiative and investment should be rewarded, and as taxpayers you should expect the best possible government at the lowest possible cost – a government that creates an atmosphere where economic growth can continue and businesses and families can be successful and flourish.

Achieving that goal starts with customer service. When I was sworn in as Comptroller, I promised the taxpayers of this state an agency that put their needs first, addressed concerns and issues in an efficient and respectful manner, fostered an environment of transparency and accountability and focused on the core responsibilities of the Texas Comptroller's office.

Primarily this agency is tasked with the responsibility of collecting and safeguarding taxpayer dollars. But in doing so, we must never lose sight of the fact that we are here to serve you. My Taxpayer Bill of Rights is designed to ensure that the service you receive from our agency not only meets your needs, but exceeds your expectations.

As a Texas Taxpayer…

  1. You have the RIGHT to Fair and Equitable Treatment – We will treat you with the courtesy and respect you deserve, and we will give our full attention to your issue. No matter how large or how small the issue is, if it's important to you, it's important to us.
  2. You have the RIGHT to Privacy and Confidentiality – We will protect your privacy and safeguard the confidentiality of taxpayer information to the fullest extent allowed by law. Read details on CPA's privacy and security policy.
  3. You have the RIGHT to Understand the Taxes You Pay – We will provide you with information to better understand the taxes you pay through a well-organized, easy-to-navigate website. You will find useful information including tax laws and rules, policies and procedures, forms, due dates and helpful publications.
  4. You have the RIGHT to Pay Only What You Owe – We recognize that you work hard for every dollar you earn. We will respect that work, and our professionals will never be paid, promoted or rewarded on the basis of how much tax they collect or assess.
  5. You have the RIGHT to Representation – We recognize that audits can be intimidating, and every taxpayer has the right to engage the person of their choice to represent them during that process.
  6. You have the RIGHT to Contest a Decision – We know that every issue may not be resolved during the audit process and that you may wish to dispute a decision. Our publication, Contesting Disagreed Audits, outlines in detail how you can exercise your right to contest a decision.
  7. You have the RIGHT to Request a Waiver of Penalties – We understand that extraordinary circumstances may cause an unavoidable late filing or payment of taxes, or the need to amend reports due to an error. We will give consideration to waiving penalties if you have not previously paid or filed late, or in a first-time audit situation.
  8. You have the RIGHT to Simpler Tax Filing – We offer a fast, secure electronic reporting system for many of the taxes we administer. Our Webfile system has built-in edits that can help prevent costly mistakes.
  9. You have the RIGHT to Courteous, Accessible Assistance from a Real Person – We know that you may not always be able to find the answer to your question or may want to deal directly with a person in our office. We will maintain dedicated phone lines, email accounts and conveniently located offices throughout the state where you will find staff ready, willing and able to promptly assist you.
  10. You have the RIGHT to Know How Government Spends Your Tax Dollars – We know how hard you work to earn every tax dollar you send to the state, which is why we publish information about how and where those dollars are spent. We provide easy-to-use tools to track state government spending across every state agency, not just our office.

This Bill of Rights represents my commitment to you, the Texas Taxpayer. If at any time you feel you have not been treated in accordance with this commitment to customer service, please contact our customer service liaison online or by calling 888-334-4112.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to better serve you, and thank you for all that you do to make Texas great.

Glenn Hegar
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts