HPU accounting students worked together as ‘special agents’ during the Adrian Project. Federal IRS agents visited campus for the afternoon-long event on Oct. 24.
HIGH POINT, N.C., Oct. 26, 2018 – Twenty-eight High Point University Department of Accounting students played the role of ‘special agents’ as they worked with federal IRS agents on Oct. 24.
A team of federal IRS agents acted as ‘suspects’ as they ran five different mock forensic accounting investigations for the students to solve. The Adrian Project exposes students to the kinds of investigations in which IRS agents are involved. Most of the investigations are tax-related, specifically return preparer fraud, where preparers generate larger refunds for clients to take money for themselves.
“There is a criminal investigation side,” said Jennifer Velez, IRS special agent. “We are special agents, federal law enforcement officers just like other agencies have. Our role is to combat tax fraud and tax evasion schemes and to enforce internal revenue code. HPU students need to know they have this option as a future career path.”
Velez played the role of receiving her tax return from a preparer who didn’t seem to have prepared her taxes correctly. The students then acted like investigators by asking her questions about her preparer and collecting more evidence.
“I love crime television shows, and the agents’ job reminds me of that,” said Roman Gray, an HPU junior accounting major. “Seeing that accounting is tied to it is a really cool experience.”
Madison Roccio, an HPU junior accounting major, worked in the same group with Gray and said it was a great experience to have IRS agents help them outside of the classroom.
“It’s really exciting,” said Roccio. “They were telling us what it’s like for them every day, and I had no idea it was this exciting and there was this much going on.”
After a day of tracking down the ‘suspects,’ they were able to ‘arrest’ those fraudulent tax preparers. Scott Davis, HPU associate professor of accounting, said the goal is to get his students interested in this career path.
“We hope it will help them understand the IRS,” said Davis. “They’re not ‘bad guys’ out there harassing people. We’re hoping some of these students will choose this as a career path. I’ve talked to two already who are very interested.”
After being a part of the Adrian Project, Roccio is considering it.
“It heightens your feelings and emotions toward the subject because you get to see how exciting this job really is,” said Roccio.