FEDERAL COURT BARS NORTH CAROLINA WOMAN FROM PREPARING TAX RETURNS FOR OTHERS

Durham Woman Allegedly Claimed Bogus Fuel Tax Credits for Customers

WASHINGTON. – A federal judge in Durham, North Carolina has permanently barred Nicole Baine from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. According to the government’s civil injunction complaint, Baine prepared federal income tax returns for customers claiming fraudulent fuel tax credits, a scam that the complaint says is a serious enforcement problem for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The court in September entered a similar injunction order against Baine’s co-defendant, Anthony Green.

The court order requires Baine to mail a copy of the injunction to all persons for whom she has prepared a federal tax return or form since 2004 and to provide the government with a list of her customers’ names, addresses, e-mail addresses, phone numbers and Social Security numbers.

The Justice Department obtained injunctions earlier this year against tax preparers in Miami and Dallas who allegedly claimed similar fraudulent fuel tax credits.

Since 2001, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained more than 285 injunctions to stop the promotion of tax fraud schemes and the preparation of fraudulent returns. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department website, as is information about the Justice Department’s Tax Division.