IRS Statistics

Individuals, including non-attorneys and non-tax professionals are often interested in statistics related to the number of tax cases that are pursued as either a civil matter or criminal prosecution.

The first chart indicates the status or disposition of criminal investigations that were initiated.

The second chart indicates the source of the crimes for which investigations were completed.

The third chart indicates the number of investigations initiated, the number completed, and the number referred for prosecution.

It’s interesting to note that 73.74% of the completed investigations are referred for prosecution; 79.9% of those sentenced were also incarcerated; and 96.78% of those who were received indictments or informations were also convicted. Approximately 20% of completed investigations pertain to identity theft.

Source: Internal Revenue Service Data Book 2016, Table 18: Criminal Investigation Program, by Status or Disposition, Fiscal Year 2016