IRS Claims 91.5% Conviction Rate on Tax Prosecutions

Posted on December 06, 2018

The IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division prosecutes tax crimes, including failure to file tax returns, tax and fraud evasion, identity theft, refund fraud, cybercrimes and money laundering. In the fiscal year 2017, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division initiated 3,019 criminal cases. The IRS currently has 2,200 Special Agents, the same number as they had 50 years ago even though the population has increased and financial crimes, including tax crimes, have become more sophisticated. The IRS warns that “criminals would be foolish to mistake declining resources for a lack of commitment in this area.” The IRS Criminal Investigation Division’s conviction rate rivals all other federal law enforcement agencies with a whopping 91.5% conviction rate. Prosecuting taxpayers serves two purposes, namely to punish the person that the government believes should be punished and to foster compliance with the tax system by other individuals. Do you have unfiled tax returns? Failing to file a tax return is actually a tax crime, a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year. Have you filed a tax return that you know is not honest or accurate? If yes, you may have committed a felony which can subject you to imprisonment for a period greater than one year. If you have unfiled tax returns or if you have filed a tax return that you know is not honest and accurate, call us, we can help.