IRS law enforcement division sees 92 percent conviction rate in 2016

WASHINGTON – The IRS last month released its annual criminal investigation report, including 3,395 cases focused on tax-related identity theft, money laundering, public corruption, cybercrime and terrorist financing.
The report, called IRS Criminal Investigation, shows what criminal enforcement actions took place last year.
“The IRS continues to work to ensure that everyone is playing by the same rules and paying their fair share,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “The IRS is committed to fairly administering and enforcing the tax code, and our criminal investors play a critical role in that effort.”
The IRS Criminal Investigation is the only federal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over federal tax crimes, according to the IRS. The agency boasted a 92.1 percent conviction rate, which it says is competitive with other federal law enforcement groups.
The total number of cases dropped for a third consecutive year “due to fewer agents and professional staff,” according to Richard Weber, chief of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.
“I’m proud of IRS CI and the reputation that this agency has as the best financial investigators in the world,” Weber said. “Regardless of our budget challenges over the past several years, I am proud that we have not lost sight of our impact or mission and that the quality of our cases remains high.”