The Justice Department has sued a Dallas-area income tax preparer to bar him and his business from preparing federal income tax returns for others.
According to the government's complaint, Farai Chihota, who operates Quick Return Tax Service, prepared federal income tax returns claiming fraudulent fuel tax credits. The complaint alleges that Chihota fraudulently prepared a return for one customer - a janitor - claiming that he bought 53,454 gallons of gasoline for business-related purposes. It estimates that the janitor would have had to spend more than five times his total income on gasoline.
The IRS claims to have identified over $1.2 million in fraudulent fuel tax credits on returns prepared by Chihota. The complaint also alleges that he has prepared many fraudulent Schedule C forms claiming bogus deductions to reduce customers' reported tax liabilities. The complaint asks the court to order Chihota to turn over his customer list to the Justice Department.
