Financial investigations

FINANCIAL INVESTIGATIONS

Independent Sector for Financial Investigations (ISFI) was set up within the Tax Administration Central Office on 1 July 2017 thus enabling efficient continuation of activities performed by the Independent Tax Anti - Fraud Unit of the Ministry of Finance. Newly established Sector took over all activities of the Independent Tax Anti - Fraud Unit. According to the Job classification rule book there are 26 positions within the Sector, and it is headed by the Deputy Director of the tax Administration.

ISFI performs tasks pursuant to powers prescribed by the Tax Administration Act and General Tax Act, and it has jurisdiction over all tax payers in the Republic of Croatia. ISFI performs analyses and financial investigation in cases where there are serious indications of organised crime, corruptive criminal offences and criminal offences of subsidy frauds against European Union funds.

Role and main tasks:

Detect and investigate persons with high risks indicating organised crime, corruptive criminal offences and criminal offences of subsidy frauds
Provide support to all criminal prosecution authorities and intelligence agencies in the form of financial analyses and investigations in cases of organised crime, corruptive criminal offences and criminal offences of subsidy frauds
Encourage taxpayers to voluntarily meet their tax obligations.

The following services are set up within the ISFI:

Detection and Financial Investigations of Organised Tax and Economic Frauds Service
Detection and Financial Investigations of Illegally Acquired Assets Service
Cooperation with Criminal Prosecution Authorities and Intelligence Agencies Service.

Part of the activities relating to the analyses of complex international transactions is organised within the special Office in the ISFI.

This is a separate team of investigators specialised for the investigations of sophisticated, complex international transactions and monitoring operations of foreign business entities in the Republic of Croatia, as well as the analyses of possible illegal outflow of Croatian tax payers’ assets abroad, thus differentiating activities of ISFI.

Knowledge and experience that ISFI investigators acquired during special one-month education program in the USA held in February 2017 (IJET Program) are used, inter alia, in the organisation and work of the team.