Risk Based Tax Audits

The book examines the fundamental principles of risk-based audits, the institutional challenges, and analytical techniques used in risk-based audit strategies. It discusses development of databases and IT infrastructure critical for effective use of risk management techniques.

More now than ever before, auditing is in the spotlight; legislators, regulators, and top executives in all types of businesses realize the importance of auditors in the governance and performance equation. Previously routine and formulaic, internal auditing is now high-profile and high-pressure! Being an auditor in today's complex, highly regulated business environment involves more than crunching the numbers and balancing the books-it requires ensuring that appropriate checks and balances are in place to manage risk throughout the organization. Designed to help auditors in any type of business develop the essential understanding, capabilities, and tools needed to prepare credible, defensible audit plans, Audit Planning: A Risk-Based Approach helps auditors plan the audit process so that it makes a dynamic contribution to better governance, robust risk management, and more reliable controls. Invaluable to internal auditors facing new demands in the workplace, this book is also a "hands-on" reference for external auditors, compliance teams, financial controllers, consultants, executives, small business owners, and others charged with reviewing and validating corporate governance, risk management, and controls. The second book in the new Practical Auditor Series, which helps auditors get down to business, Audit Planning: A Risk-Based Approach gives new auditors principles and methodologies they can apply effectively and helps experienced auditors enhance their skills for success in the rapidly changing business world.

In response to a number of large corporate failures, risk management has recently become a major consideration for most organizations. At the same time, taxation has been recognized as an area having its own unique risk profiles. This book provides a practical guide for those working in today's ever-changing corporate environment. It contains an introduction to tax risk management and discussions on the tax control framework that allow corporate tax departments to identify and manage companies' tax-related risks. The book also includes country chapters, which provide practical examples of the development and application of tax control frameworks.

This technical note introduces analytics for compliance risk management in tax administration. Together with its accompanying toolkit, the note is intended as a starter kit to support capacity development in compliance planning, risk, and intelligence groups. Developed primarily for emerging analysts new to tax administration, the note presents both theory and practical aspects of analytics. Its toolkit is comprised of an initial collection of analytics templates designed to assist in turning the theory presented into practice in the areas of: (1) compliance planning; (2) taxpayer profiling; and (3) audit case selection.

This paper employs unique tax administrative data and operational audit information from a sample of approximately 7,500 self-employed U.S. taxpayers to investigate the effects of operational tax audits on future reporting behavior. Our estimates indicate that audits can have substantial deterrent or counter-deterrent effects. Among those taxpayers who receive an additional tax assessment, reported taxable income is estimated to be 64% higher in the first year after the audit than it would have been in the absence of the audit. In contrast, among those taxpayers who do not receive an additional tax assessment, reported taxable income is estimated to be approximately 15% lower the year after the audit than it would have been had the audit not taken place. Our results suggest that improved targeting of audits towards noncompliant taxpayers would not only yield more direct audit revenue, it would also pay dividends in terms of future tax collections.

This handbook provides guidance on how to recognise indicators of possible bribery or corruption in the course of regular tax examinations and audits.

Modern tax administrations seek to optimize tax collections while minimizing administration costs and taxpayer compliance costs. Experience shows that voluntary compliance is best achieved through a system of self-assessment. Many tax administrations have introduced self-assessment principles in the income tax law but the legal authority is not being consistently applied. They continue to rely heavily on “desk” auditing a majority of tax returns, while risk management practices remain largely underdeveloped and/or underutilized. There is also plenty of opportunity in many countries to enhance the design and delivery of client-focused taxpayer service programs, and better engage with the private sector and other stakeholders.

This book provides an overview of the tax treatment of banks’ tax losses losses in 17 OECD countries; describes the tax risks that arise in relation to these losses; outlines the incentives that give rise to these risks, and describes how these risks can be reduced.