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Press Release

Georgia Federal Court Prohibits Tax Preparer from Preparing Tax Returns for Others

For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs

A federal court in Atlanta, Georgia, has permanently barred Tarralis K. Mack, individually and doing business as Metro Tax Advisors, from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.  Mack previously pleaded guilty to willfully aiding or assisting in, or procuring counseling, or advising the preparation or presentation of a false or fraudulent amended income tax return.     

 

The civil injunction order, to which the defendant consented, was signed by Judge William S. Duffey, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. 

 

According to the complaint, Mack prepared federal income tax returns for customers that generated fraudulent refunds by creating fictitious business expenses to offset wage income.  The complaint alleges that none of these customers owned any businesses and Mack did not request information to substantiate the business income and expenses he claimed on the customers’ returns. The returns prepared by Mack and audited by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) claimed a total of $481,302 in fraudulent refunds, according to the complaint.

 

Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2017.  The IRS has some tips on their website for choosing a tax preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.  Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website.  An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page.  If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

Updated November 8, 2017

Topic
Tax
Component
Press Release Number: 17-1263