9 Tax Preparers Barred From Filing Returns By MD Officials

ANNAPOLIS, MD — In the first week that Maryland taxpayers can file income tax returns, state officials have suspended processing electronic tax returns from nine tax preparers due to a high volume of questionable returns received. The businesses, which have been sent written notice of the action, can under a review process that gives an opportunity for blocked preparers to have their filing privileges restored.

"My top priority is to protect Maryland taxpayers and detecting fraudulent tax returns," Comptroller Franchot said Friday in a news release. "We want to make sure the tax refunds we issue are legitimate and go to the correct taxpayers. My top-notch Questionable Return Detection Team is vigilant in rooting out returns that try to cheat the state and steal money from hardworking Marylanders."

In 2017, the Comptroller's Office blocked suspicious tax returns at 95 tax preparation businesses in 113 locations. Since taking office in 2007, the comptroller's team has identified and blocked more than 88,000 fraudulent returns and intercepted and denied $190.2 million worth of fraudulent refunds.

SEE ALSO: 2018 Income Tax Season: Filing Begins For Maryland

"Watching for tax fraud schemes and fraudulent returns is a big challenge for tax administrators across the nation," Franchot said. "My agency uses every tool available to make sure Maryland's tax filing system is safe and accurate."

The tax preparers blocked from filing returns are:

• Magino & Associates, 18943 Red Robin Terrace, Germantown
• Accurate Taxes, 616 E Patapsco Ave., Brooklyn
• 1-866MoblTax Inc., 4812 St. Barnabas Road, Suite 6, Temple Hills
• R & M Hannan LLC, 7751 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd., Glen Burnie
• Rhonda’s Tax Service Inc., 5801 Allentown Road, Suite 303, Suitland
• A & R Tax Accounting Service Inc. (aka A R TAX AND ACCOUNTING INC), 47 Peabody St. NE, Washington, DC
• Tax Time, 3902 Ednor Road, Baltimore
• Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, 1912 Forest Drive, Annapolis
• Precise Tax and Accounting Service, 7521 New Hampshire Ave., Takoma Park

A complete list of all tax preparers blocked from filing returns is available at marylandtaxes.com. Taxpayers should carefully review their returns for these issues and should be suspicious if a preparer:

• Deducts fees from the taxpayer's refund to be deposited into the tax preparer’s account.
• Does not sign the tax return.
• Fails to include the Preparer Taxpayer Identification number "P-TIN" on the return.

If taxpayers suspect fraud, they should immediately report the issue to the Comptroller's Office by calling 1-800-MD-TAXES (1-800-638-2937) or 410-260-7980 in Central Maryland or by emailing TAXHELP@comp.state.md.us.

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