Former IRS Agent?

[redux]

It's interesting how, and why, these stories usually occur during tax time. Could there be a conspiracy to "scare" other tax preparers into compliance?

Former IRS Official Accused Of Tax Scam

Officials Say Company Filed 185 Fake Returns From ’99-‘03

POSTED: 3:06 pm PST February 10, 2008

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- A former Internal Revenue Service officer working as a tax preparer in Inglewood has been arrested in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud the government by filing false tax returns, City News Service reported Sunday.

Anthony Pendleton was arrested Thursday after an undercover probe by IRS investigators who posed as clients at the 58-year-old's Payless Tax Services.

A federal court criminal complaint said that Pendleton and two employees -- who are still being sought by authorities -- prepared and submitted false documents and made fake claims on clients' tax forms to inflate refunds.

IRS officials said the fake information included jobs, children and education credits that did not exist. It's also believed Pendleton, a former IRS officer, crafted fake W-2s to report income from nonexistent jobs.

Payless is accused of filing 185 false returns for four tax years beginning in 1999, claiming more than $609,000 in refunds.

Staff at Payless could not be reached for comment, as the service's phone had been disconnected.

If convicted, related punishments carry a maximum of 10 years in federal prison.

Copyright 2008 by KNBC.com and KNBC (NBC4 Los Angeles).

[Booger]

I'm not an IRS Agent, but I play one on TV.

Booger

[Gail in Virginia]

It's interesting how, and why, these stories usually occur during tax time. Could there be a conspiracy to "scare" other tax preparers into compliance?

Could it be that these stories occur during tax season because that is when most tax returns are prepared, whether fraudulently or correctly?