Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Florida Tax Return Preparers

The United States filed a civil injunction suit seeking to bar Simple Solutions FL LLC, Angela Nurse, Joe Leon, and Wendy Edwards from owning or operating a tax return preparation business and preparing tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. 

The complaint, filed in United States District Court in Orlando, Florida, also requests that the court require Nurse, Leon, Edwards, and Simple Solutions FL LLC to disgorge ill-gotten fees that they obtained from the U.S. Treasury through the alleged false tax return preparation.

The government’s complaint alleges that the defendants prepare and file tax returns to falsely increase their customers’ refunds, and profit through high, often undisclosed fees—at the expense of their customers and the Treasury. The complaint alleges that the defendants engaged in misconduct, including:

            •           Falsely claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit;

            •           Fabricating businesses and related business income and expenses;

            •           Fabricating deductions, such as charitable contributions and phony job-related expenses; and

            •           Reporting fabricated income tax withholdings

The complaint further alleges that Nurse and Edwards previously prepared tax returns at D&M Tax Services, and that Leon prepared returns at UJM Tax Services. In a separate action, the court previously barred the owners of D&M Tax Solutions and UJM Tax Services from owning or operating a tax preparation business and preparing tax returns for others.

The government alleges that Simple Solutions FL LLC operates at two locations that were previously occupied by D&M Tax Solutions, in Daytona Beach and Palatka. In addition, the complaint alleges that the business operates at a third location in Bunnell.

Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a 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. 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.