Criminal investigations down in staffing and investigations

The number of new IRS criminal investigations fell markedly in fiscal 2014 from the year before, the Service’s Criminal Investigation Division reported (Annual Business Report, available at irs.gov. Investigations initiated decreased from 5,314 in fiscal 2013 to 4,297 in 2014, or by 19%. Other benchmarks, including indictments and convictions, also fell, although the number of defendants sentenced increased. The number of special agents within the division decreased as well, from 2,541 in 2013 to 2,465, continuing a long-term staffing decline. The number of agents is projected to drop to 2,139 in 2016, down 36% from the historically highest number of 3,363 in 1995.