The Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS) recently launched a new web page that encourages citizens to report suspected fraud. This initiative expands existing fraud reporting as a way to help assure that all other taxpayers will not have to pay for those who evade their responsibilities.
DRS Commissioner Kevin Sullivan said enlisting the help of the public to uncover tax fraud is an effective tool. Commissioner Sullivan said, “This is more than just missing a payment or a deadline. Tax fraud is not about making mistakes. It’s deliberate theft. In today’s economic climate where families are struggling to make ends meet, law abiding taxpayers should have little patience for scofflaws. Those who commit tax fraud are not just stealing from the state; they are stealing from all of us.”
Individuals who want to report possible tax fraud can visit the DRS website at www.ct.gov/DRS and select the Report Tax Fraud button on the homepage. From there, users can fill out a referral form and may submit the information either through a secure email system, by fax, or by traditional mail. The identity of those reporting potential fraud is kept confidential.
Based on fraud stopper tips, DRS will then use the information to determine if tax fraud has been committed and take appropriate action. During 2010, DRS made 24 felony arrests and 146 misdemeanor arrests. The charges ranged from larceny, forgery, ID theft, filing false returns, failure to file returns, failure to pay trust-fund taxes, sale of untaxed cigarettes, and operating without tax permits.
For more information about Connecticut tax issues, please visit the DRS web site at www.ct.gov/DRS or call 1-800-382-9463 in state, or (860) 297-5962 from anywhere. Media should call the communications office at (860) 297-5610 or email sarah.kaufman@po.state.ct.us.
