• Why Tax Resolution
  • Join TRN
    • For Enrolled Agents
    • For CPAs & Tax Pros
    • For Attorneys
    • Compare Membership Levels
    • Silver TRN Membership
    • Gold TRN Membership
    • Platinum TRN Membership
    • Group Membership for Firms
  • Events
    • TRN 2023 Live: St Louis and San Antonio
    • The Practitioner’s Advisory Summit
    • 3rd Annual Tax Rep Summit from ORLANDO
  • Books
    • The Accountant’s Guide to IRS Collection
    • The Accountant’s Guide to Resolving Tax Debts
    • The Accountant’s Guide to Resolving Payroll Taxes
    • The Insider’s Guide to IRS Offers
    • The Accountant’s Guide to IRS Representation Checklists, Letters, and Forms
    • How to Build a Million Dollar Tax Representation Practice
  • TRN App
  • TRN Podcast
  • Resources
    • Complimentary Resources
    • Blog
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Testimonials
    • Press
    • CPE/CE
    • Refund Policy
  • Contact
Tax Rep LLCTax Rep LLC
Tax Rep LLCTax Rep LLC
TRN MEMBER LOGIN
  • Why Tax Resolution
  • Join TRN
    • For Enrolled Agents
    • For CPAs & Tax Pros
    • For Attorneys
    • Compare Membership Levels
    • Silver TRN Membership
    • Gold TRN Membership
    • Platinum TRN Membership
    • Group Membership for Firms
  • Events
    • TRN 2023 Live: St Louis and San Antonio
    • The Practitioner’s Advisory Summit
    • 3rd Annual Tax Rep Summit from ORLANDO
  • Books
    • The Accountant’s Guide to IRS Collection
    • The Accountant’s Guide to Resolving Tax Debts
    • The Accountant’s Guide to Resolving Payroll Taxes
    • The Insider’s Guide to IRS Offers
    • The Accountant’s Guide to IRS Representation Checklists, Letters, and Forms
    • How to Build a Million Dollar Tax Representation Practice
  • TRN App
  • TRN Podcast
  • Resources
    • Complimentary Resources
    • Blog
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Testimonials
    • Press
    • CPE/CE
    • Refund Policy
  • Contact

Green & Sklarz LLC

Criminal Tax New Haven CT: Former New Haven Tax Preparer is Sentenced

Criminal Tax New Haven CT: Former New Haven Tax Preparer is Sentenced

Jan 15, 2020

tax form and penJohn H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DEVON WILLIAMS, 30, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to eight months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for preparing false tax returns.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Williams formerly owned and operated Perfect Preparers, LLC, a tax preparation business based in New Haven.  Between approximately 2014 and 2017, Williams prepared numerous federal tax returns for clients that contained inflated deductions, including false deductions for unreimbursed employee expenses, charitable donations, and mortgage interest. Some returns contained false Schedule C (sole proprietorship business) information.  Losses suffered by the IRS as a result of his fraud totaled at least $550,000.

Judge Hall ordered Williams to pay restitution of $550,000.

On October 3, 2019, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting the preparation of a false tax return.

As a result of Williams’ fraudulent conduct, many of his clients’ filed tax returns will need to be amended.  Williams’ clients are required to resolve their own tax liability with the IRS.

Williams, who is released on a $150,000 bond, is required to report to prison on March 4, 2020.

This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer R. Laraia.

If you or someone you know has a criminal tax issue, or was victimized by Devon Williams, please contact us at (203) 285-8545 or by email at egreen@gs-lawfirm.com.

Eric L. Green, Esq.

Green & Sklarz LLC

One Audubon Street, 3rd Floor

New Haven, CT 06511

Ph. (203) 285-8545

Fax (203) 286-1311

egreen@gs-lawfirm.com

www.gs-lawfirm.com

Criminal Tax New Haven, CT: IRS Arrests Michael Avenatti at Hearing

Criminal Tax New Haven, CT: IRS Arrests Michael Avenatti at Hearing

Jan 15, 2020

We routinely represent taxpayers in civil and criminal tax cases.  We wanted to let everyone know that  IRS agents arrested embattled attorney Michael Avenatti in Los Angeles late Tuesday during a break in a hearing before the California State Bar, the U.S. attorney’s office confirmed , saying he allegedly violated the terms of his pretrial release on charges he embezzled client funds.

Michael Avenatti, famous for representing Adult Actress Stormy Daniels and had been positioning himself for a run for President, was arrested Tuesday, cutting short a hearing on whether his law license should be suspended while the California State Bar investigates disciplinary charges.

The hearing was on whether Avenatti’s law license should be suspended while the State Bar investigates disciplinary charges connected to allegations he stole a former client’s $1.6 million settlement payment. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California told the media that IRS agents arrested Avenatti for allegedly violating the terms of his pretrial release in the embezzlement case that is pending in California federal court. The documents related to the alleged violation are under seal, the spokesman said. Avenatti’s arrest comes the same day the attorney lost his bid to delay his upcoming trial in New York federal court on criminal charges he plotted to extort millions of dollars from Nike Inc. He is slated to go to trial Jan. 21. Tuesday’s proceedings at the State Bar were a continuation of a hearing from December to determine whether Avenatti’s law license should be suspended while the bar investigates bringing disciplinary charges in relation to accusations that he embezzled a $1.6 million settlement payment to his former client, Gregory Barela Jr. The California State Bar hearing was paused for nearly two hours on Tuesday while Avenatti attended the hearing in New York by telephone. After Avenatti finished that call, he took the stand in Los Angeles to testify that he has a hazy recollection of the details of the settlement agreement he negotiated on Barela’s behalf in an intellectual property dispute.

If you or someone you know has a criminal tax issue, or was victimized by Attorney Avenatti, please contact us at (203) 285-8545 or by email at egreen@gs-lawfirm.com.

Eric L. Green, Esq.

Green & Sklarz LLC

One Audubon Street, 3rd Floor

New Haven, CT 06511

Ph. (203) 285-8545

Fax (203) 286-1311

egreen@gs-lawfirm.com

www.gs-lawfirm.com

Justice Dept. Announces Settlement With Liberty Tax Service

Justice Dept. Announces Settlement With Liberty Tax Service

Dec 4, 2019

Government and Liberty Jointly Propose Order Requiring the Company to Enact Compliance Controls Affecting more than 2,800 Liberty Tax Service Stores

If you or someone you know was impacted by the peparing of a false return by Liberty Tax please contact us immediately at egreen@gs-lawfirm.com or (203) 285-8545.

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a complaint with a U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, seeking entry of a court order requiring Franchise Group Intermediate L 1 LLC, (Liberty) the national franchisor and owner of Liberty Tax Service stores, to refrain from specific acts, enact enhanced internal compliance controls regarding the detection of false tax returns, and pay for an independent monitor to oversee Liberty’s compliance with the proposed court order. Separately, the United States and Liberty filed a joint motion and proposed order that, if adopted by the court, would resolve the matter.

Liberty is one of the largest tax preparation service providers in the United States, according to its public filings. Through its stores, Liberty filed approximately 1.3 to 1.9 million tax returns each year between 2015 and 2019, and for tax years 2012 to 2018, Liberty claimed over $28 billion in federal tax refunds on behalf of its customers, the complaint asserts. According to Liberty’s 2019 Annual Report filed with the SEC, and as reflected in the complaint, the Justice Department has been investigating Liberty’s policies, practices and procedures in connection with Liberty’s tax return preparation activities. Liberty has cooperated to resolve this matter.

The complaint alleges that Liberty directly controls its company-owned stores and that it maintains a substantial degree of control over franchisees. According to the complaint, returns prepared by franchisees and filed electronically with the IRS flow through Liberty before they are filed. The government claims Liberty failed to maintain adequate controls over tax returns prepared by its franchisees, and failed to take steps to prevent the filing of potentially false or fraudulent returns prepared by franchisees, despite having the capability to do so and despite notice of fraud at some of its franchisee stores.

Between 2013 and 2018 the Department of Justice filed 10 separate civil enforcement actions against Liberty Tax Service franchisees, or their owners, former owners or managers, some of whom Liberty designated as “Elite 18” franchisees because their “performance and attitude set the standard for the [Liberty Tax Service] organization.” The government contends its allegations in those lawsuits show common patterns across top Liberty franchisees of concocting fictitious income for customers to claim Earned Income Tax Credits, fabricating expenses to reduce customers’ reported income tax liability, claiming improper or false dependents, and falsifying education expenses to claim refundable education tax credits.

In their joint motion, the parties request relief that would:

  • Permanently bar Liberty from engaging or employing certain individuals going forward, including the company’s founder and former CEO, John T. Hewitt;

 

Implement enhanced compliance measures, including training programs and additional resources to monitor, detect, and report non-compliance with federal laws and regulations, as well as to ensure effective quality control over tax return preparation throughout the Liberty Tax Service system;and require Liberty to:

  • Conduct a minimum number of onsite compliance reviews of its stores, test its stores’ compliance with tax laws using mystery shoppers, and automatically prevent electronic transmission of tax returns to the IRS that report certain items with a high risk of fraud until the company independently verifies the accuracy of the tax return;
  • Disclose to the United States any violations Liberty discovers from onsite reviews, mystery shoppers, and automatic holds of tax returns, as well as internal reviews Liberty previously conducted of its officers and employees who violated federal tax laws;
  • Enact specific verification requirements at Liberty Tax Service stores for tax returns that claim itemized tax deductions or report certain forms of income to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit;
  • Maintain a whistleblower program to encourage Liberty employees, franchisees, and franchisee employees to report suspected fraudulent activity; and
  • Engage a third party, approved by the United States, to act as an independent monitor to review the company’s compliance with terms of the order, to assess the sufficiency of Liberty’s fraud prevention measures, and to report findings to a government official designated by the United States and, if necessary, to the court.

Return preparer fraud is one of the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2019. The IRS has some tips on their website for choosing a tax 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. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

Eric L. Green, LL.M.

Green & Sklarz LLC

One Audubon Street, 3rd Floor

New Haven, CT 06511

Ph. (203) 285-8545

egreen@gs-lawfirm.com

www.gs-lawfirm.com

Article on Resolving Tax Debts: Wealth Strategies Journal

Article on Resolving Tax Debts: Wealth Strategies Journal

Sep 11, 2019

Taxpayers often become frustrated and scared when dealing with the IRS on a back tax debt. In reality, however, resolving a tax debt is reasonably straightforward and can save taxpayers from unnecessary distress.  My article covering this topic is now out in Wealth Strategies Journal and can be read here for FREE: https://wealthstrategiesjournal.com/2019/09/06/resolving-tax-debts-is-easy-its-all-about-the-process/

Eric L. Green, Esq.

Green & Sklarz LLC

700 State Street, Suite 100

New Haven, CT 06511

Ph. (203) 285-8545

Email: egreen@gs-lawfirm.com

www.gs-lawfirm.com

What are people saying about Eric Green's training?

Dawn B. - “The representation side of my practice has just exploded thanks to Eric. I have added staff and now focus my business on much more lucrative representation matters. There is no way this would have happened without his expertise...”

Stan F. – “I just wanted to say thank you for today’s webinar. I have been doing taxes for 19 years and this was by far the best training that I have ever attended, and I attend a lot.”

Jack B. – “As a retired Revenue Officer and now an enrolled agent, your presentation was outstanding. The handout package was very well done.”

Stephen M. – “Best back tax seminar I have attended. Expertise is superior and very clear and useful. Thanks!”

Hector H. – “Eric Green is a great speaker, and offers an excellent well-rounded seminar!”

Contact Us

We're not around right now. But you can send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

Send Message

Sitemap

Why Tax Resolution?
TRN Memberships
Self-Study CPE/CE
Events
Books
Testimonials
Resources
CPE/CE
About
Contact

Contact Info

  • Providing Tax Resolution Training, Workshops, and Seminars for CPAs, EAs, Attorneys and Tax Professionals
  • TAX REP NETWORK
  • One Audubon Street, 3rd Floor, New Haven, CT 06511
  • hello@taxrepllc.com

CONNECT WITH TAX REP NETWORK

Client Portal

© 2023 — TAX REP, LLC · All Rights Reserved | Legal | Privacy | Terms of Service | Cookies

  • Home
  • Memberships
    • TRN Silver
    • TRN Gold
    • TRN Platinum
  • Self-Study CPE/CE
  • Events
  • Books
  • Testimonials
  • Resources
  • CPE/CE
  • About
  • Contact