A Baltimore, Md.-based tax preparer has been sentenced to a 20-month prison term for preparing phony tax returns. Charles Imariagbe, the operator of JC Tax ServiceS, drew the sentence after being found guilty on February 8 on 15 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns.

A Florida Tax prepared has been sentenced to 75 months in prison, the same sentenced a co-conspirator drew in April, for their role in using stolen identities to seek more than $1.5 million in tax refunds. Rhonda Perry Gittens, of Pembroke Pines also must serve three years of supervised released and pay $794,444 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

The ability to use electronic signatures on employment forms is critical to the Internal Revenue Service reaching electronic filing goals, the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee said in its annual report to Congress. ETAAC noted the IRS has a goal of having 80 percent of all major return categories electronically Filed. However, the employment taxes, the Form 94x Series, reached only an estimated 37.2 percent this year. Read more...