Melissa Gasca, Tax Return Fraud, Illinois 2023

Chicago, IL – In a brazen scheme to line her own pockets, Melissa Gasca, a Chicago area tax return preparer, has been accused of preparing nearly 5,000 federal income tax returns that significantly overstated customers’ tax refunds by falsely reporting inflated Form W-2 federal income tax withholdings.

According to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Gasca, individually and doing business as Su Familia Income Tax, and a related tax preparation business, FinancialPlus Services Inc., caused the United States to lose over $5 million in tax revenue from 2017 to 2020.

The scheme, which lasted from 2017-2020, saw Gasca prepare over 900 tax returns in 2020 alone. The complaint alleges that a substantial number of these tax returns contained false information, resulting in the loss of millions of dollars in tax revenue.

Acting Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement, highlighting the importance of remaining vigilant when choosing a tax return preparer. “Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams,” Hubbert warned.

The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers.

An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on the Justice Department’s website. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

Gasca’s scheme is a stark reminder of the importance of tax preparation integrity. Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should be cautious and do their research to avoid falling victim to similar scams.

The Justice Department’s efforts to shut down Gasca’s operation are a step in the right direction towards protecting taxpayers and ensuring the integrity of the tax system.

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