Connect is a new social network analysis software data mining computer system developed by HMRC (UK) that cross-references business's and people's tax records with other databases to establish fraudulent or undisclosed (misdirected) activity.
History
HMRC introduced Connect in the summer of 2010; it was not fully functioning. Around 350 HMRC employees are involved with Connect, who work with an analytical compliance environment. Connect was developed by BAE Systems Applied Intelligence (former Detica in Surrey) for £45m.
From September 2016, Connect has interfaced with financial information from British Overseas Territories; these have been known tax havens. From 2017 Connect has interfaced with around sixty other OECD countries.
Sources of information
Connect cross-references information from many other UK government databases, including:
- Adverts on the internet e.g. Rightmove and Zoopla
- Bank accounts and pensions
- Council tax
- Credit and debit card transactions, going back four years
- Companies House
- DVLA
- DWP (former Benefits Agency)
- eBay and other internet marketplaces
- The electoral roll
- Gas Safe Register
- Insurance companies
- Land Registry - for capital gains tax
HMRC also independently looks at Google Earth.
Technology
The system deploys the chi-squared test and Benford's law to look for anomalous tax receipts. The system is operated by the Risk and Intelligence Service (RIS) division of HMRC. The software combines analytic tools (Enterprise Guide) from SAS Institute, which collects the information, and NetReveal from BAE Systems AI, which collates it into meaningful information.
It deploys predictive analytics similar to credit scoring, and has dynamic benchmarking. It looks for correlation of income with lifestyle, by comparing with multivariate statistical models; outliers from expected variance will be investigated.
Definition of data
Undeclared work is plotted on mapping software, allowing undeclared work to be seen at a street by street level.
Purpose
Connect looks for income disparities, often caused by undeclared income. If someone drives an expensive car, but does not have the income to run one or afford one, Connect can discover this.
See also
- Mosaic (geodemography)
- National Border Targeting Centre, UK Government computing centre in south Manchester that traces illegal and suspicious immigration into the UK, via cross-border databases
- Government Connect, part of Government Secure Intranet, a computer communications systems between UK local authorities
- Tax information exchange agreement
References
- Times, 14 September 2012,
- Caldwell, Kyle (10 December 2014). "Are you next on the taxman's hitlist?". The Daily Telegraph.
- "Case Study: HMRC Fighting Tax Fraud". BAE Systems. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016.
- Rigney, Paul (November 2016). "The all seeing eye – an HMRC success story?" (PDF). Institute of Financial Accountants.
External links
- Telegraph: "Connect computer system" (June 2015)
- HMRC Digital blog
- SAS Enterprise Guide
- BAE Systems.com: Financial Crime
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- BAE Systems
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- Corruption in the United Kingdom
- Data analysis software
- Fraud in the United Kingdom
- Geodemographic databases
- Geographical databases in the United Kingdom
- Government databases in the United Kingdom
- HM Revenue and Customs
- Informal economy
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- Social network analysis software
- 2010 software
- 2010 establishments in the United Kingdom
- Tax avoidance in the United Kingdom
- Tax evasion in the United Kingdom