False Tax Returns: Why CPAs and Their Clients Go to Prison

It is a crime to knowingly prepare a false tax return. Many return preparers are not aware of the severity of civil and criminal penalties for a false tax return. Not only can a CPA lose the ability to represent their client to the IRS, but the CPA can lose their CPA license and potentially go to prison. Every tax year, the IRS publishes various stories about how return preparers and their clients go to prison for willfully submitting false tax returns.

This course discusses the ways that the IRS investigates bad return preparers. You also understand the difference between simple mistakes versus a criminal act. The course helps return preparers know what to do if they are being investigated for a false tax return, including if their client is under criminal investigation.

Program Content: The major topics covered in this class include:

• How the IRS catches bad return preparers
• The difference between simple mistakes and criminal acts
• What to do if your client is being investigated for tax crimes
• How to protect yourself if you are accused of preparing false tax returns