ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - A central Florida man who owned a tax preparation business with locations in several states must turn over nearly $950,000 he received from preparing improper and fraudulent returns.
A federal judge in Orlando issued a civil order Monday that permanently bars Jason Stinson from preparing federal tax returns for others and from owning or operating a tax return preparation business. Stinson's company, Nation Tax Services, had stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.
The court found that Stinson targeted "underprivileged, undereducated poor people" and earned income credit claims. Authorities say Stinson and his preparers fraudulently lowered customers' taxable income by fabricating dependents, business expenses and charitable contributions. The stores charged customers in excess of $600 to prepare a single tax return, sometimes without telling the customer. Fees would be taken from the customer's refund.
(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
