A Cleveland man was recently sentenced to three years in a federal prison for doing just that.
A lot of people would say that it’s easier to get away with yanking on Superman’s cape than tangling with the Internal Revenue Service over tax fraud. It’s very possible that the Cleveland man in the case cited would agree.
He pleaded guilty on the three counts he faced: making false claims. According to the Department of Justice, the man filed inaccurate claims from 2011 to 2013. His false claims netted him $139,000, the IRS said.
In his guilty plea, the man said he filed three returns under names he had created – the people are not real – and told the IRS to deposit funds in his bank accounts.
He had initially been charged with 27 counts, but the plea agreement reduced the total to just three, according to a news account. However, the 45-year-old will spend a year in prison for each of those crimes, plus be required to pay back the $139,000 he took in.
Of course, it must be remembered that in many cases, the IRS inaccurately assumes that wrong has been done, or assumes that significant crimes have taken place when, in fact, inaccuracies are the result of errors. If the IRS has contacted you about returns it believes might involve fraud, false statements or other related concerns, you can speak with an experienced tax attorney about your available options.