JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Duval County tax preparer was sentenced to a year and four months in federal prison for preparing and filing false tax returns.
The court also ordered 60-year-old Raymond Jones Jr. to pay $400,524 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. He pleaded guilty on July 8.
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According to court documents, Jones worked as a tax return preparer for Express Tax Returns from 2008 to 2011. Using taxpayer information provided to ETR, Jones would file tax returns with the IRS.
When preparing a Form 1040, he intentionally overstated or falsely claimed, among other items, self-employed retirement plan contribution deductions, education credits and expenses. He did so knowing that it would increase tax refunds to his clients.
Jones prepared and filed 73 fraudulent tax returns at ETR between 2010 and 2011. The tax loss attributed to his fraudulent actions was $400,524.