Forensic tax investigation

Inland Revenue has announced the establishment of a new unit to begin building the forensic investigation capabilities that its new START computer system permits. This coincides with the end of IR's business transformation programme, on 30 June 2022.

In a nod to the TV series of the same name, the unit is called CSI, standing for Compliance Strategy and Innovation and it is said by IR to provide a dedicated, specialist team who will help to ensure IR can fully realise the benefits from its "transformed tools and systems".  Specialising in the use of the new START tools to draw out insights, IR says that CSI will contribute to design interventions that will "improve customer compliance, efficiency, and effectiveness".

As these capabilities begin to play a greater role in the way IR addresses compliance issues, taxpayers need to be aware of the extent to which their individual positions will be examined and assessed against norms of business and tax reporting in the local business community and even abroad.

These are capabilities with which our team is very familiar.