Justice Department files suit to stop Georgia tax preparer’s fraudulent filings.
A Georgia tax preparer and her business are now the subject of a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. The government is asking a federal court to stop her from continuing to file tax returns for others. The complaint accuses Tanja D. Hollis, who operates Tanja Tax Preparations LLC in Griffin, of knowingly submitting false information on federal tax returns for many of her customers. She is alleged to have invented business and education expenses to reduce the amount of tax her clients owed.
According to the court filing, Hollis included made-up business deductions for clients who had no business at all. In other cases, she listed education credits for people who were not students. Her actions allegedly caused a loss in tax revenue and violated federal law. Several customers told the Internal Revenue Service that they had no idea she was entering that kind of information and never gave her permission or documents that would support the entries she made.
The complaint says these false claims were not honest mistakes. Hollis is accused of repeatedly entering information she knew was untrue, even though she was being paid to file honest returns. By doing so, she not only misrepresented her clients’ income and deductions but also put them at risk for audits and penalties. The government is not just seeking a court order to stop her from preparing taxes going forward — it is also asking that she return the fees she collected while filing these fraudulent returns.
Return preparer fraud is not a new problem. The IRS regularly publishes a list of common scams, and this type of misconduct ranks among the most reported. Some tax preparers try to increase refunds in order to charge higher fees or attract more business. In the process, they often break the law and leave their clients responsible for any false information submitted. The IRS has long warned the public to be cautious and look for warning signs, such as preparers who do not sign the tax return or refuse to give copies to their clients.
Over the past decade, the Justice Department has taken legal action against hundreds of dishonest preparers. Many of these cases have resulted in court orders barring the individuals involved from preparing returns altogether. Others have included criminal charges or demands to pay back money obtained through illegal practices. A public list is available on the Department of Justice website showing the names of individuals who have been stopped from offering tax services due to misconduct.
The case against Hollis is ongoing, and no final decision has yet been made by the court. However, the government’s action is part of a larger push to protect the public and preserve the integrity of the federal tax system. These types of lawsuits send a clear message: those who submit false information on tax forms, whether for personal gain or to benefit someone else, can be held accountable.
The IRS continues to encourage taxpayers to report suspicious tax-related activity and offers tools for checking whether a tax preparer is properly credentialed. A free online directory is available, and there are tips for choosing someone who follows proper procedures. Even when working with a professional, taxpayers are ultimately responsible for what’s on their return, and false information can lead to serious consequences. In this case, the complaint outlines how false entries made by one preparer could affect not just her clients, but the broader tax system itself.
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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Georgia Tax Preparer for Fabricating Expenses and Credits
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