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Income Tax

Las Vegas man barred from preparing tax returns for others

Man is accused of various violations at his tax practice, including preparing false tax-return forms with fabricated businesses and income, selling deceptive loan products, preparing false W-2 forms and filing tax returns without customer consent or authorization.

A civil injunction was signed Thursday by a Nevada U.S. District Court judge forbidding Benyam Tewolde, the reported co-owner of several Instant Tax Service franchises in Las Vegas, from preparing taxes for others.

According to a U.S. Department of Justice news release, Tewolde is accused of various violations at his tax practice, including preparing false tax-return forms with fabricated businesses and income, selling deceptive loan products, preparing false W-2 forms and filing tax returns without customer consent or authorization. He is also accused of personally preparing fraudulent returns.

Instant Tax Service is a nationally franchised tax preparation business based in Dayton, Ohio.

Tewolde allegedly co-owns the Las Vegas franchises with his wife, Yordanos Kidanits, through their business Koraggio LLC, officials said.

Tewolde and Kidantis consented to the civil injunction order without admitting the allegations against them, according to the Justice Department.

Under the order, Tewolde is banned from preparing or filing federal tax returns for others, training tax preparers or owning or managing a tax preparation business.

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