Many (if not most) people and organizations approach a new year by setting new goals or implementing changes. This exercise, however, requires a reflection on the previous year’s events, successes, and failures. And government agencies are not exempt from taking time to reflect on the prior year’s accomplishments. IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) recently selected its “Top Ten Cases of 2021,” and the list involves quite a range of prominent investigations during the past tax year.
IRS CI, Generally
According to its mission statement, Criminal Investigation “serves the American public by investigating potential criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and related financial crimes in a manner that fosters confidence in the tax system and compliance with the law.”[1] IRS CI’s four main strategies are compliance, money laundering, international, and terrorism.[2] Additionally, CI pursues investigations that align with its mission, considering factors, such as: whether the investigation is high profile, whether the investigation involves egregious allegations, the deterrent of the investigation, and conformity with the CI’s Annual Business Plan (ABP).[3]
Top Ten Cases of 2021
IRS CI selected the following ten cases as the top investigations of 2021:
- Albuquerque couple sentenced to federal prison in Ayudando Guardians case
Susan Harris and William Harris were sentenced to 47 and 15 years in federal prison, respectively. They…
