Ministry of Finance relies on AI: Millions against tax fraud!

Ministry of Finance relies on AI: Millions against tax fraud!

In the fight against tax fraud, the Ministry of Finance is increasingly relying on artificial intelligence (AI). This was announced on August 14, 2025, when Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer stated that a total of 354 million euros in additional tax revenue was generated in 2024 through the methods of the Predictive Analytics Competence Center (PACC). The effectiveness of these measures is reflected in the review of 6.6 million cases where risk models were applied. The aim is to significantly improve financial management through modern technologies.

The use of AI plays a central role in this. According to vol.at, the audit measures not only uncovered false information in employee assessments, but also identified attempts at fraud in income, corporate and sales tax. The PACC's services therefore affect all relevant areas of financial administration. This also includes checking possible compliance violations, such as illegally applied for aid and the detection of fictitious companies.

Anti-tax fraud package

In order to further intensify efforts to combat tax fraud, Marterbauer announced the introduction of a “tax fraud combat package” in the fall. bmf.gv.at reports that even more AI-supported systems will be used in the future. The importance of these technologies is highlighted by PACC head Christian Weinzinger, who emphasizes that predictive analytics and machine learning are key methods for increasing efficiency in tax auditing.

In 2024, the PACC's special unit reviewed not only 6.6 million cases, but also approximately 23.4 million cases for general compliance violations. These reviews focused in particular on illegally received aid or the existence of sham companies. An example of the success of these measures is a farm where unrecorded sales proceeds from high-priced vehicles subsequently led to additional tax demands of over 300,000 euros.

Technological innovations and future developments

The increasing importance of AI in the Ministry of Finance is also reflected in the use of new processes such as text mining and various machine learning methods. This helps identify potential cases of fraud with a high probability. According to oe3.orf.at, AI is considered indispensable because fraud is constantly evolving and new approaches to combating it are therefore necessary.

The PACC measures not only aim to better evaluate past audits, but also to improve the detection of potential risks in real time. Through cooperation with national and international partners, the analytical competence of the tax administration is to be further expanded in order to combat tax fraud even more efficiently.