Federal Court Permanently Bars Texas Woman from Preparing Federal Tax Returns for Others

WASHINGTON – A federal court has permanently barred Maritza Villanueva of Irving, Texas, from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The permanent injunction order, to which Villanueva consented, was entered by Judge Jane J. Boyle of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

The government complaint in the case alleged that Villanueva works for Action E-File Services in Irving, and claims false tax credits and deductions for her customers, including false earned income tax credits. According to the complaint, the Internal Revenue Service estimated that Villanueva’s customers underpaid their taxes, or received tax credits to which they were not entitled, in an amount exceeding $3 million.

The court also ordered Villanueva to give government attorneys any lists she possessed identifying individuals for whom she prepared any tax-related documents since Jan. 1, 2007.

Since 2001, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained hundreds of injunctions to stop the promotion of tax fraud schemes and the preparation of fraudulent returns. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department website.