ORLANDO, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking a permanent injunction to stop a Florida-based tax preparation business accused of filing fraudulent federal tax returns.
The complaint, filed Wednesday in federal court in Orlando, names Juan Humberto Garcia of Kissimmee, his son-in-law Marcos Yariel Figueroa, and their business, Tax Master of BVL Inc.
According to the complaint, Mr Garcia and Mr Figueroa are said to have operated the business by preparing and filing tax returns that falsely claimed business losses, medical expenses, and charitable deductions in order to inflate refunds or reduce their client’s tax liabilities.
The complaint alleges that Internal Revenue Service investigators interviewed multiple clients of Tax Master who reportedly said they were not self-employed and had not incurred the expenses shown on their returns. Some said they never gave Mr Garcia or Mr Figueroa any information that would support the inflated claims.
By repeatedly understating customers’ tax obligations, the pair is said to have caused the federal government to lose a significant amount of tax revenue.
The Justice Department is also asking the court to order Garcia, Figueroa, and Tax Master of BVL Inc. to repay the tax preparation fees they allegedly earned through fraudulent filings.
The civil case is part of an ongoing effort by the Justice Department to stop tax fraud and protect taxpayers from unscrupulous preparers.
