FEDERAL JUDGE SHUTS DOWN SECOND TAX PREPARER WHO TARGETED BOSNIAN IMMIGRANTS IN BOGUS TAX-REFUND SCHEME

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department announced today that a federal court has barred Angelique Tinder of Houston, Texas, formerly of Rockford, Illinois, from preparing federal income tax returns for others. The permanent injunction, to which Tinder consented, was entered by Judge Philip G. Reinhard of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Government papers filed in the case alleged that Tinder filed amended tax returns for Bosnian immigrants and others claiming refunds based on fictitious or inflated deductions for such things as charitable contributions, business expenses, and medical expenses. The suit also alleged that Tinder falsely advised her Bosnian-immigrant customers that they can claim as dependents persons overseas to whom they send support payments. The complaint alleged that the IRS believes that Tinder has understated her customers’ tax liability by at least $2.6 million for the years 2000–2002.

“The Justice Department is working vigorously to stop the preparation and filing of the false or fraudulent returns,” said Eileen J. O’Connor, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “People who hire a tax preparer should review their returns carefully to make sure that they are truthful.”

“While most tax-return preparers provide excellent service to their clients, the IRS is serious about investigating those who are engaged in fraudulent activities,” said Kevin M. Brown, Commissioner of the IRS Small Business/Self-Employed Division. “I encourage the public to bring questionable promotions and abusive preparers to our attention.”

The court’s order requires Tinder to give the Justice Department a list of her customers’ names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and Social Security numbers. More information about this case is available at http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/txdv05110.htm.

Earlier this year, the Department secured an injunction against an unrelated Rockford return preparer from preparing false federal income tax returns on behalf of his Bosnian customers. Information on that case is available at http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/txdv06021.htm.

The Justice Department has sought and obtained injunctions recently against more than 150 federal tax return preparers and promoters. More information about these cases is available on the Justice Department website at http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/taxpress2006.htm. More information about the Justice Department’s Tax Division can be found at http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/index.html.