FEDERAL COURT BARS CONNECTICUT WOMAN FROM PREPARING TAX RETURNS FOR OTHERS

Return Preparer Allegedly Inflated Deductions of Customers’ Returns Causing a Loss to the U.S. Treasury Exceeding $300,000

WASHINGTON – A federal district court in Connecticut has permanently barred Elda Sinani, a resident of that state, from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. Sinani consented to the civil injunction order.

According to the government complaint, Sinani operated two businesses – Eagle Notary Public & Tax Service in Waterbury, Conn., from November 2001 through April 2004 and later Universe Travel & Legal Services in Hartford, Conn. The complaint alleges that she provided tax return preparation services through both of these businesses. The complaint further alleges that Sinani inflated deductions for her customers to which they otherwise were not entitled. An example identified in the complaint asserts that she frequently improperly reported her customers’ transfer of monies to family members as charitable contributions.

The complaint states that Sinani prepared more than 1,500 returns for the tax years 2003 through 2006. According to the complaint, the IRS has determined that the U.S. Treasury has incurred more than $300,000 in losses from tax returns prepared by Sinani and may have incurred losses exceeding $2.9 million.

Acting Assistant Attorney General John A. DiCicco thanked Tax Division trial attorney Lisa Bellamy for her handling of the government’s case. The Justice Department has obtained injunctions against more than 370 tax return preparers and tax-fraud promoters since 2001. Information about the Justice Department’s Tax Division and its efforts to stop fraudulent return preparers is available on the Justice Department website.