Justice Department Seeks To Shut Down Louisiana Tax Return Preparer

2018-06-13

A tax return preparer in Avondale, Louisiana prepares fraudulent tax returns for her customers and files false tax returns using taxpayers’ identifying information without their knowledge or authorization, according to a civil lawsuit filed by the Justice Department on June 12. The suit, filed in federal court in New Orleans, asks the court to permanently bar Adrienne Robinson Thomas (doing business as AT Tax Services) from preparing federal tax returns for others.

The complaint alleges that Thomas unlawfully understates her customers’ income tax liabilities and overstates these customers’ refunds. According to the complaint, Thomas unlawfully prepares federal tax returns that lower her customers’ federal tax liabilities by claiming bogus earned income tax credits, bogus child tax credits, false education credits, and fabricated household employee income and withholdings. The government alleges Thomas also files wholly fabricated tax returns using the identifying information of taxpayers who did not hire her to prepare their federal income tax returns.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice