Tennessee Tax Return Preparer Charged with Filing False Tax Returns

A federal grand jury sitting in Nashville, Tennessee, returned an indictment on April 6, which was unsealed today, against a Nashville woman charging her with six counts of assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, two counts of filing false personal tax returns and one count of obstructing the due administration of the internal revenue laws, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Rivera for the Middle District of Tennessee.

According to the indictment, Tracey Brown operated a tax return preparation business, Total Tax Services, from her residence.  It is alleged that between 2006 and 2010, she filed false tax returns on behalf of her clients.  On these returns, Brown claimed a variety of fraudulent deductions, including medical expenses, charitable contributions and unreimbursed employee expenses.  After one of her clients was audited, Brown provided false documentation to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  Brown is also alleged to have under-reported the gross receipts and sales figures on her personal income tax returns for the years 2008 and 2009.    

If convicted, Brown faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison for each count.  She also faces substantial monetary penalties, supervised release and restitution.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed.  Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Rivera commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Jaworski and Trial Attorneys Alex Effendi and Nathan Brooks of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting this case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.