DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SUES TO STOP BOGUS TRUST TAX SCHEME

Lawsuit Also Seeks Immediate Disclosure of List of Customers of Michigan Resident Who Allegedly Promoted Tax Scam

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of Justice today filed a lawsuit in federal court in Grand Rapids, Mich., to stop Robert L. Mosher, Carol L. Mosher, and Kimberly Sanders, who do business in their own names and as Mosher Enterprises, from promoting a tax scam based on the use of sham trusts to fraudulently attempt to reduce or eliminate their customers' personal income tax liabilities. The suit also seeks to prevent Robert L. Mosher from preparing federal tax returns and representing customers before the Internal Revenue Service. According to the suit, these scams have cost the federal Treasury in excess of $5 million.

The Justice Department also has asked for an order requiring Robert L. Mosher to immediately turn over a list of all customers for whom he has prepared income tax returns, amended returns, or requests for refund in the last three years, as well as copies of those documents. The government also requested an order preventing Mosher from submitting any tax returns on which he does not include his identifying number as a return preparer.

"Tax scammers enrich themselves by helping others violate the law," said Eileen J. O'Connor, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Tax Division. "Shutting down tax scam promotions and identifying tax scam customers are high priorities for the Justice Department."

Current or past customers of Robert L. Mosher or the other suit defendants may call the Grand Rapids, Mich., office of the IRS for more information at (616) 235-2376. For copies of documents filed in this case and for information on other tax scam enforcement actions, go online to http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/taxpress2003.htm.

Today's suit is the latest in a series of suits brought by DOJ to shut down the promotion of abusive trusts used to reduce, eliminate and hide income. Tax scams cost taxpayers billions of dollars every year. According to a General Accounting Office report (GAO-02-733) issued last year, however, stepped-up efforts by the IRS and Justice Department to crack down on these scams have led to increasing numbers of convictions of tax fraud promoters. The report can be found online at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02733.pdf.

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