CRA admits paying out $63 million in sham tax refund scheme | CBC News

In early 2020, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) concluded it had made a $63 million mistake. The agency concluded that the amount was paid in "illegitimate" tax refunds in what it claims was a "fraudulent" scheme.

Iris Technologies, with a base in Markham, Ontario, increased its sales from $27 million to $800 million in two years, according to CRA documents.

By acquiring and exporting large volumes of telephone minutes over the Internet, the firm has generated more than $120 million in tax refunds. The CRA said in court documents that Iris Technologies "knew or was willfully blind" to the fact that they were involved in a so-called "carousel scheme".

The Canadian Radio Channel's "The Fifth Estate" and "Enquête" investigation revealed that there are international networks of sophisticated criminals in Canada who receive hundreds of millions of dollars from the Canadian government's coffers without facing serious consequences.