Since October, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has issued 83 audits identifying more than $151 million in increased or protected revenue, according to a report publicly released today.

In its Semiannual Report to Congress, TIGTA also announced that it had opened 1,728 investigations and closed 1,795 cases during the six month period ending March 31, 2008. These cases resulted in court-ordered fines, penalties and restitutions totaling $11,460,982.

The statistics were contained in TIGTA's Semiannual Report to Congress for the six-month period of October 1, 2007, to March 31, 2008.

Highlights of the reporting period included TIGTA's annual assessment of the top management challenges confronting the IRS, which was issued in October. The Semiannual Report to Congress presents a sampling of TIGTA's audit work in each of those challenge areas. Significant reports issued by TIGTA during the reporting period focused on:

• the IRS's ongoing efforts to modernizing its aging computer system;
• challenges faced by the IRS in narrowing the tax gap; and
• the need for the IRS to better protect the security of taxpayer data.

"As indicated by this report, I am pleased to say that TIGTA is achieving its mission of promoting the integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness of tax administration," said Inspector General J. Russell George.