Denise Miller Almanza, Tax Return Preparer Fraud, Pennsylvania 2024

Denise Miller Almanza’s tax preparation business is under fire after the U.S. government filed a federal lawsuit to shut her down in Philadelphia.

The suit alleges that Almanza, owner of Denise’s Centro de Servicios, PC, has inappropriately reduced her customers’ income or wrongly claimed tax credits on their returns, causing them to receive tax refunds or increased refund amounts to which they are not entitled.

According to the complaint, Almanza has prepared over 14,000 federal tax returns since 2010, and her customers have received, on average, over $2,900 in improper benefits per tax return.

The complaint further alleges that Almanza’s activities over the last four years have potentially cost the U.S. Treasury millions of dollars in lost tax revenue.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, seeks to permanently bar Almanza and her business from preparing federal tax returns for others.

Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2014. The IRS has some tips on their website for choosing a tax preparer.

In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers.

The case against Almanza is part of a larger effort to combat tax return preparer fraud and protect taxpayers from scams.

Mandatory Facts:

Defendant/respondent: Denise Miller Almanza
Criminal charges: Permanently barred from preparing federal tax returns for others
City and state: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Exact date: (not specified)
Sentence or outcome: Permanent injunction sought
Dollar amounts: $2,900 in improper benefits per tax return

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