The pursuit of justice in the realm of taxes has brought the Justice Department to the doorstep of a Chicago-area tax preparer, who now faces accusations of manipulating the financial system for gain at the expense of the U.S. treasury. According to the Office of Public Affairs, Stacy Thomas of Orland Park, Illinois, and her businesses—operating under names like Rapid Tax Refunds LLC, Rapid Tax Refund Profs LLC, and Rapid Refunds Income Tax Service Inc.—allegedly falsified tax returns by inventing residential energy credits, business expenses, and charitable contributions.
These alleged improprieties were not victimless manipulations, as the customers served by Thomas claimed ignorance to these additions, telling IRS interviewers they did not incur the expenses nor donate the funds that magically appeared on their returns, and these deceptive tactics reportedly drained nearly $13 million in tax revenue from U.S. coffers. The department's Tax Division, as noted in the Office of Public Affairs announcement, has made moves to permanently prevent Thomas from further tax preparation activities.
The crackdown on errant tax services is not new—over the past decade, the Justice Department's Tax Division has successfully obtained injunctions against hundreds of questionable tax professionals, a relentless commitment to integrity within the tax preparation industry and they keep an up-to-date list of those who've been legally barred from the practice, to which the public can report any suspected violations, should those enjoined parties choose to defy the law and continue their dubious practices.
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