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Firefighter Prepares Fake Tax Returns for Thousands
A former Chicago firefighter has been accused of preparing thousands of fake tax returns for his clients, understate their tax liabilities to maximize refunds.
The U.S. government filed a complaint in federal court in Chicago, alleging that 62-year-old Irving Brown Sr. has prepared over 2,000 tax returns since 2011, resulting in tax deficiencies of more than $740,000.
According to the complaint, Brown, who operates Irving Brown Sr. Tax Services from his Chicago home, has been using fraudulent earned income tax credits, false charitable deductions, and fake business expenses to obtain inflated tax refunds for his clients.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) interviewed several of Brown’s customers, who stated that the improper deductions, credits, and business expenses were false and not based on information they provided to Brown.
The complaint alleges that Brown also frequently prepares returns claiming head of household filing status for customers who are ineligible for that status and created false Schedule E expenses from fictitious rental real estate to create tax deductions.
The IRS estimates that Brown’s actions could have cost the U.S. Treasury more than $1 million, making him the latest target of the government’s crackdown on return preparer fraud, one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2015.
The government is seeking to bar Brown from preparing federal tax returns for others, citing his history of filing false returns and failing to report income and expenses accurately.
The case is the latest in a series of actions by the government to combat tax evasion and other financial crimes.
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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