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Las Vegas Area Tax Preparer Indicted on Identity Theft, Filing a False Return, and Wire Fraud

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Las Vegas Area Tax Preparer Indicted on Identity Theft, Filing a False Return, and Wire Fraud

Whether you choose to have your tax returns prepared by a tax professional, or you choose to do them yourself, you typically expect that the process is efficient and user-friendly. Most would likely agree that being charged hidden fees and having your tax return fraudulently filed with a third parties’ preparer tax identification is not efficient or user-friendly. Nonetheless, the owner of a tax return preparation business is finding himself in extremely hot water for doing just that.

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Tax Business Owner Allegedly Stole Preparer ID’s, Filed False Returns

According to a Department of Justice press release, a federal grand jury returned an indictment, charging a Las Vegas area tax return preparer with aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and preparing and filing false tax returns.

The grand jury indictment revealed that King Isaac Umoren owned and operated the tax preparation firm Universal Tax Services. Between 2014 and 2016, Mr. Umoren is alleged to have used the preparer tax identification numbers of his staff to prepare and file knowingly fraudulent income tax returns for his clients. Prosecutors allege that Mr. Umoren’s staff was unaware that their boss was using their preparer tax identification numbers.

In addition to filing knowingly false tax returns using preparer tax identification numbers that he was unauthorized to use, authorities have alleged that Mr. Umoren charged his clients additional fees that were undisclosed, hidden, and not agreed upon.

If Mr. Umoren is convicted, he could very well spend a quarter of a century in prison, or more. The maximum sentences for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and preparing and filing a false tax return are 20 years, two years, and five years, respectively.

 

The Importance of Trusting Your Tax Advisor

The takeaway from this story is that you should be able to trust the tax professional that you have hired to work on your behalf. This cannot be overstated, especially when you are hiring a tax defense attorney to represent you during an audit or an criminal tax investigation. U.S. and state tax regimes are immensely complex and the last thing that any taxpayer should be worrying about is whether their professional tax representative is being honest and professionally responsible.

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Hiring a Dually Licensed Tax Practitioner

Many taxpayers may believe that all tax professionals are the same and that they can all provide the same level of service and insight in the event of a tax audit / examination or investigation. Although most tax professionals are extremely bright individuals who have knowledge and insight to offer, only a dually-licensed tax professional who is a CPA and a licensed attorney can bring the combination of tax and accounting technical knowhow to the table, coupled with an extensive education in, and understanding of, complex areas of criminal tax law, evidence, and constitutional law.

 

Contact an Experienced Tax Attorney Today

The tax and accounting professionals at the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing have extensive experience representing taxpayers from all walks of life. Whether you are a business owner facing a sales and use tax audit or you have received notice that your individual return is being examined, our team of zealous advocates are standing by to help you develop a sound legal strategy that will keep your personal and financial interests at the forefront of importance. Do not lose sleep over the possibility of tax evasion or other tax-related charges from the IRS or state taxing authorities. Contact the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing today for a reduced-rate consultation.

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Also, we’ve expanded our offices! In addition to our offices in Irvine and Los Angeles, the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing now have offices San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Panorama City, Oxnard, San Diego, Bakersfield, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Sacramento.

 

Note: If you have concerns about the privacy of our initial or subsequent communication and are unable to easily travel to our Irvine / Orange County Main Office, consider scheduling a GoToMeeting to safely and securely establish an initial or maintain an existing attorney client relationship.  With end-to-end encryption, strong passwords and top-rated reliability, no one is messing with your meeting. To schedule a reduced rate initial consultation via GoToMeeting follow this link.   Call our office and request a GoToMeeting if you are an existing client. We are generally happy to travel to any of our appointment only satellite offices for a subsequent meeting in appropriate circumstances once a relationship is established via a signed engagement letter and the payment of an initial retainer or where enough retainer is available where a current client to cover the reasonable travel time and time required for the meeting.

Will it cost me more to hire the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing, who’s main office and the vast majority of the firm’s staff is located in Irvine California, but an appointment only Satellite office is close to my location, as opposed to a local company?  Absolutely not!  See our policies that address this issue here