May 10, 2023 — The national average for federal tax compliance is 83.6% over every type of industry.
In the commercial fishing industry, that compliance rate drops to 65%, said Joleen Simpson, special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office.
“That’s well under the average. So we’re really trying to make sure that we have the industry come under compliance,” Simpson said.
As the nation’s number one commercial fishing port, New Bedford is very much on the radar.
“The statistics we have cover the six New England states but really the fishing industry is significant in Rhode Island, Maine and Massachusetts, with, of course, New Bedford being the most valuable port not only in New England but in the United States,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Supervisory Special Agent Matthew Amsden.