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South Florida Man Permanently Banned from Preparing Tax Returns
A federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has taken a hard line against tax return preparer Eli St. Phard of Oakland Park, Florida. The U.S. government filed a civil complaint against St. Phard in April, alleging that he prepared income tax returns that fraudulently understated his customers’ tax liabilities by falsely claiming deductions for business expenses they never incurred; fraudulently overstating his customers’ claims for refunds by falsely claiming education or fuel tax credits to which they were not entitled; or both.
According to the complaint, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audited 340 of the returns St. Phard prepared and found that St. Phard understated the tax owed on all but five of the 340 returns—a total of more than $1.8 million in understatements. As a result of St. Phard’s fraudulent activities, many of his customers are now liable for significant tax deficiencies, penalties, and interest, the complaint alleged.
In addition to barring St. Phard from preparing federal tax returns, the court ordered St. Phard to give the United States a list of his customers. St. Phard consented to entry of the order by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. St. Phard admitted, for purposes of this case, that he had engaged in conduct subject to penalty under the federal tax laws, but he did not admit to civil or criminal wrongdoing or to the specific allegations in the complaint.
St. Phard, a Broward County man, is now permanently barred from preparing federal tax returns for others. The exact date of the court’s decision was not specified in the source.
The U.S. government took action against Eli St. Phard, who was alleged to have engaged in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and his customers. According to the complaint, St. Phard prepared tax returns that included false claims for deductions and credits, resulting in significant tax understatements.
Defendant: Eli St. Phard, Tax Return Fraud, Florida 2023
Defendant’s Name: Eli St. Phard
Criminal Charges: Engaging in conduct subject to penalty under the federal tax laws
City and State: Oakland Park, Florida
Exact Date: April 2023 (civil complaint filed)
Sentence or Outcome: Permanently barred from preparing federal tax returns
Dollar Amounts: Over $1.8 million in understatements
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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