DOR to Expand Efforts to Cover Fraud in Public Programs
St. Paul, Minn. – Senate Taxes Committee Chair Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope), who also chairs the Legislative Audit Commission (LAC) said new Minnesota Department of Revenue (DOR) protocols that prioritize the investigation and reporting of not only tax fraud, but also the detection of “public program fraud” is a welcome improvement to the Department’s oversight of the spending of state taxpayer dollars.
In a letter Tuesday to Sen. Rest and other members of the bipartisan LAC, State Revenue Commissioner Paul Marquart said his department’s focus on tax fraud and safeguarding taxpayer confidentiality has meant that the agency has not put enough priority on “observing and reporting instances of potential fraud outside of tax programs.”
“I welcome this action from Commissioner Marquart and the DOR to protect Minnesota taxpayers from not only tax fraud, but also any fraud it finds in our state’s public programs,” said Sen. Rest. “I am please he is being accountable for the fraud that DOR uncovers no matter where it happens and is fixing any past shortcomings in their efforts to report it.”
After conferring with the state Legislative Auditor (OLA) Judy Randall about the issue, Marquart put in place new protocols, including:
- Educating all DOR employees on how to detect and report fraud
- Designating a DOR lawyer to advise on suspected fraud and reporting
- Creating a DOR fraud issues team led by the Revenue Internal Auditor to ensure consistent standards are used to identify and report fraud
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