FLORIDA HOMEBUYER TAX SCAMMER BARRED
A federal court has permanently banned a Florida woman from preparing federal income tax returns for others, following a massive homebuyer tax credit scam.
Dianelys Armengol Guevara of Pembroke Pines, Fla., has been permanently barred from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the federal government announced today.
The permanent injunction order, to which Guevara consented, was entered by Judge Cecilia Altonaga of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Fort Lauderdale.
The government complaint in the case alleges that Guevara has prepared returns that falsely claim tax credits and deductions, including the first-time-homebuyer credit, for her customers. According to the complaint, Guevara improperly claimed over $950,000 in homebuyer credits, misrepresented the requirements for the credit to her customers, failed to disclose to her customers that a person must actually purchase a home in order to claim the credit, and claimed the credit without her customers’ knowledge or against their wishes.
The government’s suit also claims that Guevara failed to identify herself properly as the paid tax return preparer on many of the returns. She allegedly used a fictitious Social Security number to identify herself on hundreds of returns she prepared.
The Justice Department has obtained hundreds of injunctions in the past 10 years to stop the promotion of tax-fraud schemes and the preparation of fraudulent returns. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department website.
The brazen scam by Guevara raises questions about the integrity of the tax preparation industry. Taxpayers are advised to be cautious when choosing a tax preparer and to ensure that they understand their rights and responsibilities.
According to the government, Guevara’s actions demonstrate a clear disregard for the law and a willingness to deceive her customers for personal gain. The permanent ban on Guevara serves as a warning to other would-be tax scammers that the government will take action to protect taxpayers.
The Justice Department’s Tax Division will continue to work tirelessly to identify and prosecute those who engage in tax-fraud schemes and to protect the integrity of the tax system.
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