Tax file: Feds target fuel, phone tax fraud

The Justice Department recently moved against several tax preparers it alleged were preparing fraudulent claims for federal fuel and telephone excise tax refunds, two taxes that particularly affect motor carriers. On June 19, the agency announced it had sued two tax preparers in Durham, NC, for preparing at least 84 tax returns claiming fraudulent fuel tax credits. That announcement followed an injunction in April that permanently barred a Miramar, FL, woman from preparing returns because she had done the same thing.

On June 8, the IRS announced that Justice had obtained indictments against tax preparers in California, Georgia and Texas for filing fraudulent telephone excise tax refund claims. In addition, a Miami tax preparer pled guilty to fraud charges that week