The federal government charges fees for services that provide recipients with direct benefits beyond those received by the public.
Implemented in June 2017, the Service Fees Act (SFA) replaced the User Fees Act and introduced a number of changes as part of the Government’s initiative to modernize the administration of service fees charged to individuals and organizations, lending to greater government accountability, increased transparency and an improved stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
These changes include the establishment of service standards, more detailed annual reporting for all fees and an annual adjustment of fees based on the Consumer Price Index. The SFA also requires departments and agencies to establish a mechanism to reimburse a portion of the fees, also known as a remissions, when service standards are not met.
By April 1, 2021, all departments and agencies are required by the Treasury Board to establish a remission policy for all fees subject to service standards, in order to fulfill their obligations under section 7 of the SFA.
The ISED Remission Policy and Program Annexes were developed in consultation with the Treasury Board Secretariat and they comply with the relevant acts, regulations, policies and directives.
For more information about any program’s service fee remissions, each program’s contact information is available in the Program Annexes.