FLORIDA — A federal court has permanently barred two Miami tax preparers from the tax preparation business and ordered them to pay over $700,000.
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The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued permanent injunctions against Niclas Pierre, owner of Niclas Tax and Express Inc., and Elius Bessard, who operated Bessard Immigrations and Tax Services LLC. Both men are prohibited from preparing tax returns, assisting in tax preparation, or operating any tax-related business, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
The court also ordered Mr. Pierre to pay $563,000 and Mr. Bessard $208,000 in ill-gotten gains. The complaint alleged that both preparers filed fraudulent returns, including fabricated residential energy credits, false deductions, and inflated business expenses.
According to the complaint, Pierre and Bessard prepared more than 1,000 tax returns over the past six years. Both individuals agreed to the injunctions and payment orders.
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Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division stated the department’s commitment to addressing tax fraud.
