The nation's taxation watchdog is considering a review of the taxpayers' charter this year, believing it lacks the teeth to satisfy complaints.
The charter was created by the Australian Taxation Office in 1997 and is a declaration of what people can expect from the ATO and what it expects from taxpayers, but it is not legally enforceable.
Inspector-General of Taxation Ali Noroozi, who oversees the workings of the ATO, wants to explore whether the current system is adequate or whether to go down the path towards a taxpayer bill of rights.
He says people have come to him complaining they have had bad experiences with the ATO and don't feel they are appropriately compensated or know the appropriate avenues through which to take the issue further.
"I think people want some enforceable remedy, something that they can go to court with, where they feel that the tax office is not living up to its charter," Mr Noroozi told ABC radio on Monday.
Mr Noroozi said he did not know how the ATO and its commissioner would react to a review of the charter or the introduction of a bill of rights.
"My job is not to have nice cups of tea with the commissioner of tax, my job is to scrutinise," he said.
