Waterbury Tax Preparer Sentenced to 20 Months in Federal Prison

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL D. MIR, 41, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 20 months of imprisonment, followed  by one year of supervised release, for preparing false tax returns and underpaying his own federal taxes.

According to court documents and statements made in court, MIR prepared more than 3300 federal tax returns for the 2012 through 2015 tax years through a tax return preparation practice he operated in Waterbury.  MIR falsified information on numerous returns that he prepared for clients by fabricating business expenses, or by inflating deductible medical and dental expenses.  For the 2012 through 2014 tax years, MIR deposited more than $400,000 in income generated by his tax preparation business into his personal bank account.  However, MIR did not report any income from his tax preparation business on his 2013 personal income tax return, and he reported only $18,500 in income from his tax preparation business on his 2014 return.  MIR did not file a personal income tax return for 2015.

Through MIR’s preparation of false tax returns, and the underpayment of his own taxes, the government lost a total of $406,679.

On March 6, 2018, MIR pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return.

Judge Shea ordered MIR to make full restitution to the government.  The IRS is taking action to recover unpaid taxes from MIR’s clients, and MIR’s restitution figure will be reduced as money is recovered from his clients.

Judge Shea also ordered MIR to perform 75 hours of community service during his term of supervised release.

This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.