>From just the last few days there have been two stories of Bozo tax preparers and one of a Bozo tax examiner. Here they go:
First, from Navarre, Florida comes the story of Deborah Adams. Ms. Adams was a helpful soul when she ran Archer Tax and Accounting. She added deductions to her clients’ returns. That increased the clients’ refunds, but it’s illegal. Added to her problems was her side business of identity theft, which is just as illegal. She pleaded guilty to 44 counts and will be sentenced at the end of July.
Stephan Doimas prepared taxes in Chandler, Arizona (a suburb of Phoenix). He allegedly had another way of helping relieve clients: he is accused of stealing money from his clients. Mr. Doimas was arrested by Chandler police on charges of theft, fraud, forgery, and threats. So far the loss to clients is tabbed at $15,000, but that number is preliminary as the investigation continues.
Finally, from Hiroshima, Japan comes the story of an unnamed individual who used to work at the Hiroshima Regional Tax Bureau. This individual decided he’d like a promotion, and so he invented fraud at five companies and sent them notices demanding payment of ¥330,000. Unfortunately for him the National Tax Agency’s internal auditor apparently discovered the fraud. “I thought I would receive a good evaluation and get a promotion if I revealed cases of tax evasion,” is what the Bozo examiner told the Tax Agency. The good news out of this is that the Bozo examiner paid the 330,000 yen out of his own pocket.
Remember our usual advice: If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.