The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida has issued a permanent injunction against Miami tax return preparers Niclas Pierre and Elius Bessard, along with their respective businesses, Niclas Tax and Express Inc. and Bessard Immigrations and Tax Services LLC. The court's decision prevents both individuals from preparing tax returns, owning or working for a tax preparation business, assisting others in preparing tax returns, or transferring customer lists.
In addition to the injunctions, the court ordered Pierre to pay $563,000 and Bessard $208,000 in ill-gotten gains from their operations. Both individuals have agreed to comply with these orders.
The complaint against Pierre and Bessard alleged that they prepared tax returns with false deductions and credits for their clients over the past six years. This included fabricated residential energy credits and inflated business expenses.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division announced the court's decision.
Taxpayers are advised to be cautious when selecting a tax return preparer. The IRS provides resources on its website to help taxpayers choose qualified preparers, including a free directory of federal tax preparers and guidance on credentials to look for.
Over the last decade, the Tax Division has successfully obtained injunctions against numerous fraudulent tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. If there is suspicion that an enjoined individual or business is violating an injunction, details can be reported to the Tax Division.