Internal Revenue Service's Controls Over the Use of Confidential Informants

Recent Improvements Not Adequate Gao ID: GGD-77-46 September 1, 1977

Primarily because of inadequate management attention, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had not done all it could to get the most benefits with the least risk in dealing with confidential informants.

Informants were sometimes used in ill-defined and overly broad intelligence gathering efforts, procedures for evaluating their information were inadequate, and their use was not systematically reviewed by management. Since 1975, IRS strengthened its controls, but it could do more. Management needs to pay more attention to the fact that an informant is used only after the potential benefits and risks have been properly assessed.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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