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Resources:
Tax Education: Criminal
Investigation Division
The Criminal Investigation Division
(CID) is the IRS police department. With the help of the court
system, CID puts people in jail. They don’t wear
uniforms like police, but they carry gold badges and guns
like police. If somebody says they are from CID of the IRS, you
or somebody you know is under criminal investigation and
may go to jail.
Fortunately, very few individuals
are criminally investigated, but prosecutions are on the rise.
Part of the reason is because the IRS is very thorough
with its criminal investigations, more thorough than most
police departments. In fact, criminal investigations can take
years and may involve interviewing friends, neighbors,
family, business associates, employees, bankers, insurance
agents, etc. The IRS may monitor somebody’s mail
with the help of the U.S. Postal Service. Even your accountant
can be forced to give information about you to the IRS. As
result of its thorough investigations, the IRS is
successful in its criminal prosecution of tax crimes about 80%
of the time! About two-thirds of those charged with
tax crimes plead guilty.
The three primary crimes that the
IRS investigates are: 1. Tax evasion (the intentional conduct to
defeat the income tax law—like tax cheating schemes); 2.
Filing a false return (tax returns containing
misstatements); and 3. Failure to file a tax return.
If CID
contacts you, it is likely that they have almost completed their
investigation and are hoping you will make damaging
admissions or a confession to make prosecution easier. If CID
knocks on your door, SAY NOTHING other than goodbye. Do
not speak to them. Call an attorney immediately after they
have left. Remember, your conversations with an attorney are
protected by the attorney-client privilege. This privilege
does not extend to accountants or enrolled agents unless your
attorney has engaged them.
For
more information contact us
at taxhelp@taxdefendant.com
or
Toll Free 866-216-1930
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