Posts Tagged ‘national ombudsman office’
Don’t Get Mad - Get to Know The National Ombudsman
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
Have you ever felt that taxes and regulations are unfairly burdening your business or industry?
If you are like many small business owners, you are of the mindset that there is nothing you can do about it, and that you should just suffer with it. After all, how are you going to convince government forces that they are hurting you? As a small business, you may think you do not have enough influence to make a difference.
In some respects, you may be right. Your small business alone does not have the sway with government regulators and lawmakers that a large corporation has. However, many small businesses, linked together, do.
This is the concept that guided the creation of the National Ombudsman. The Small Business National Ombudsman is a direct link between small businesses and authorities in the federal government.
The creation of the National Ombudsman position came from the government as a way to create an impartial official who would investigate complaints levied by citizens against the government, and recommend resolutions to their problems.
How the Process Works
Once you feel your business is being unfairly regulated, you can file a complaint with the National Ombudsman’s Office .
You will receive a call from the Ombudsman’s office to discuss the complaint. In many cases, there are already programs in place to aid in the resolution of business problems. They may point you toward one of these resources.
If your case is not easy to solve, it will move to the next level - investigation. An investigator will take your case and look more deeply into the situation.
Once the investigator has completed the job, he or she will make a recommendation for your case. If it is found the government agency has wronged your business, there will be a request entered for correction of that wrong. You will also receive a copy of the findings and the Ombudsman’s recommendation.
While the government does not have to comply with these recommendations, they often follow them.
FAQs About Contacting the National Ombudsman Office:
Q. What types of complaints does the Ombudsman look at?
A. Among the most common complaints from small businesses are those relating to excessive audits, fines, threats and investigations of a business by federally regulated agencies.
Q. Can I complain anonymously?
A. While the investigator will try to keep your identity private, you will have to let the National Ombudsman Office know who you are and give them details about your business for an effective investigation.
They will try to keep your identity from government officials; but in many cases, there may be no choice but to reveal your identity to allow a clear presentation of the complaint to the government agency in question.
If confidentiality is a major concern, you can discuss this with the National Ombudsman Office when they call to go over your complaint.
Tags: government, Leeia Ladipoh, legal, national ombudsman office, ombusdman, small business policy, taxes and regulations
Posted in News & Articles | No Comments »