In the last few years, the question about tax research has been as much about where the work gets done and what is available via research. That question is about to what degree tax professionals are interested in conducting research via mobile devices.

The Department of Justice is seeking to bar an Indiana woman from preparing federal tax returns for others. The department is accusing Cynthia Hawk, who operates Gain Tax Service, of creating phony business and fake business income to get clients maximum credits under the earned income tax credit.

Alabama woman who was part of an identity theft scheme has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Scottie Alice Johnson of Montgomery County, Ala., was accused of being part of a family ring that used stolen IDs to obtain more than $1.7 million in tax refunds.

The most effective way to prevent tax returns is to identify crooked preparers. That statement was part of the report to Congress this week by the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee. The report notes the number of fraudulent tax refunds identified and stopped in 2012 was almost seven times what it was 10 years earlier.