The Office of Promoter Investigations (OPI) was announced yesterday as the IRS’ latest division targeting compliance issues. OPI will focus on those individuals who promote and peddle tax fraud and tax avoidance schemes. Before the creation of OPI, the IRS’ Small Business / Self-Employed Division (SB/SE) used field examination employees to work on promoter investigations; these employees have since been moved to OPI to work together under OPI’s appointed acting director, Lois Deitrich. SB/SE commissioner, De Lon Harris, is hopeful the new division will not only enhance their work, but the SB/SE division’s work as well, stating “bringing these agents together, in combination with the creation of the service-wide Office of Promoter Investigations, will help strengthen our compliance work and is yet another opportunity to increase our capacity to conduct these investigations.”
For more information on the Office of Promoter Investigations, click here.
