NEW ORLEANS, LA – The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil injunction suit today in federal court seeking to bar multiple individuals associated with Paige’s Income Tax Services (Paige Tax) from preparing federal tax returns and operating or owning any tax preparation business.
The suit names Unnisha Paige, Rosetta Jones, Capriata Oatis, Keyante St. Cyr, Leah Smith, Laporscha Thompson, Deshira Horton, and India Toppins as defendants. The Justice Department also seeks a court order requiring the defendants to disgorge all fees obtained through allegedly false or fraudulent return preparation.
According to the complaint, Unnisha Paige is a full or partial owner of each Paige Tax franchise and sells tax preparation software and training to individuals who want to start tax businesses. The government alleges that Paige and her associates use this network to file tax returns containing false information in order to boost customer refunds and collect high, often undisclosed, preparation fees.
The complaint outlines several categories of misconduct, including:
- Falsely claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit
- Fabricating business income and expenses reported on Schedule C
- Claiming false fuel tax credits
- Claiming false child and dependent care credits
- Claiming fabricated COVID-19-related tax credits
The lawsuit also asks the court to prevent Paige from selling or licensing tax preparation businesses, franchises, or tax preparation software.
The IRS continues to advise taxpayers to use caution when selecting tax preparers and recommends using its public directory of credentialed tax professionals. More information is available at IRS.gov.
