Even with the government crackdown on tax fraud and identity theft, there are still those who like to tempt fate. This is one of those stories.
Joseph Glendon Austin, 35 of North Las Vegas pleaded guilty to one count of presenting a false claim and one count of aggravated identity theft for filing multiple false tax returns using the names of others. For his crime, Austin was sentenced to four years in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay IRS restitution of $64,921
According to court records, Austin obtained access to the personal information of clients of an unnamed tax preparer. Here is what Mr. Austin did with that information:
- On March 31, 2009, Austin filed a tax return using the personal identifiers of a client of the tax preparer.
- Falsified the income, withholding, and other information on the fake return.
- Requested a refund of $4,147, which Austin admitted to having received.
- Filed more false tax returns using the identifiers of other clients of the tax preparer.
Paul Camacho of IRS Criminal Investigation said in a statement “This case is part of a national sweep to target those who steal taxpayers’ identities for the purpose of obtaining fraudulent tax refunds. Eradicating these crimes is a top priority at IRS. Nationally, IRS has tripled the number of tax related identity theft cases.”
Combating a major tax issue such as identity theft and refund fraud is clearly a top priority for the IRS. In January 2013, the IRS also conducted a nationwide identity theft enforcement sweep. Also, the Justice Department’s Tax Division, local U.S. Attorneys’ offices and local law enforcement are all beginning to work together to tackle the identity theft issue.
Identity theft is a pernicious crime that can adversely affect the financial lives of everyday people. A previous Tax Resolution University post including video shows an identity fraud case from the victim’s perspective. In this case the “victim” was friend Robert “Sully” Sullivan, Big Biz Show radio and TV personality and who just discovered he was a victim of tax identity theft and to inquire about what to do next.
While the government is working hard to catch and prosecute criminals, it is important that taxpayers be vigilant and contact the IRS and your tax professional immediately if they think they might be a victim of identity theft. Remember: the IRS holds you responsible for information provided to them and will come after you for payment so it’s in your best interest to make sure your tax account is clean.
When it comes to audits don’t mess around with the IRS on your own. If you have received an intimidating IRS audit letter or are currently under audit – seek professional tax relief now! Contact a tax audit expert with experience handling IRS audit cases like yours who can resolve your IRS problems for good.