South Florida tax preparer jailed for filing fraudulent returns
Key Points(5)
- The owner of a South Florida tax preparation business has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison for filing fraudulent tax returns that resulted in over $20 million in losses to the IRS, authorities announced Friday.
- Beatriz Toledo, 61, who owned Immigration and Tax Service Group LLC, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns.
- In addition to her prison term, she was sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $20 million in restitution to the IRS.
- According to court records, from 2017 to 2021, Toledo knowingly filed thousands of fraudulent tax returns for clients.
- These returns falsely claimed Residential Energy Credits, inflated itemized deductions for state and local taxes, and falsified business expenses—all in an effort to reduce taxable income and increase refunds.
The owner of a South Florida tax preparation business has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison for filing fraudulent tax returns that resulted in over $20 million in losses to the IRS, authorities announced Friday.
Beatriz Toledo, 61, who owned Immigration and Tax Service Group LLC, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns. In addition to her prison term, she was sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $20 million in restitution to the IRS.
According to court records, from 2017 to 2021, Toledo knowingly filed thousands of fraudulent tax returns for clients. These returns falsely claimed Residential Energy Credits, inflated itemized deductions for state and local taxes, and falsified business expenses—all in an effort to reduce taxable income and increase refunds.
Toledo’s fraudulent tax filings affected approximately 7,800 returns, resulting in $20 million in unpaid federal taxes. Her business profited by collecting $7.1 million in fees, which were taken directly from her clients’ refund checks.
This case is not Toledo’s first legal trouble. In 2010, a federal district judge issued a permanent injunction (Case No. 09-cv-21987-COOKE) barring her from preparing fraudulent tax returns. However, she violated the injunction and continued her illegal activities, leading to her indictment in 2024.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of IRS-CI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will J. Rosenzweig prosecuted the case.
