FEDERAL COURT BARS ALABAMA WOMAN FROM PREPARING TAX RETURNS CLAIMING IMPROPER DEDUCTIONS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department announced today that a federal court in Mobile, Alabama has barred Rebecca Turk Chavers, a Mobile, Alabama tax preparer doing business as Becky Chavers Accounting, from preparing federal income tax returns that claim improper deductions.

Judge Charles R. Butler, Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama, entered the order against Chavers, who consented to the injunction. The government’s complaint alleged that Chavers prepares federal income tax returns for customers who work as mariners. The government contended that the returns she prepared claimed deductions to which the mariners were not entitled. The deductions were for per diem incidental expenses for board and lodging, but the mariners’ employers provided them with free board and lodging. The suit further alleged that Chavers prepared returns for other customers claiming excessive deductions for travel-related meal expenses.

The court’s order requires Chavers to notify customers of the injunction and to give the Justice Department a list of the names, mailing and e-mail addresses and Social Security and telephone numbers of customers for whom she prepared returns with improper or inflated deductions.

This injunction suit is part of an effort begun in 2001 to stop the promotion of tax scams and the preparation and filing of false and fraudulent returns. The Justice Department has obtained injunctions against more than 100 promoters and tax preparers since 2001. More information about this and other tax injunction cases can be found at http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/taxpress2005.htm. More information about the Justice Department’s Tax Division is available at http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/index.html.