The IRS is going after tax cheat issue. This may explain everything. http://www.accountingtoday.com/news/IRS-Warns-Tax-Preparer-Frau The Internal Revenue Service has been investigating and helping prosecute a number of tax preparers in Southern California who have been cheating the government and their clients. As the tax filing season is in full swing, the IRS noted that it’s important for taxpayers to find honest, qualified tax professionals if they need tax preparation assistance. Taxpayers are legally responsible for what ’s on their own tax returns even if prepared by someone else. Choosing a dishonest tax preparer can be costly as dishonest tax professionals may, for example, place fictitious information or false deductions on their client’ s tax returns resulting in an inflated refund. Tax Preparer Serving Life Sentence Gets 37 Months San Bernardino Preparer Sentenced to Serve 5 ½ Years in Federal Prison El Segundo Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison West Covina Man Pleads Guilty to Preparing a False Tax Return Filed with the IRS Placentia Tax Preparer Sentenced for Tax Evasion – Joseph Usunubu Aluya was sentenced on Feb. 18, 2011 to 27 months in federal prison. Former IRS Revenue Officer Sentenced to Spend 41 Months in Federal Prison Fountain Valley Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing a False Tax Return with IRS – Mac Huy Nguyen, the operator of MacTax, a tax preparation and bookkeeping business located in Fountain Valley, pleaded guilty on Feb. 23, 2011 to one count of subscribing to a false tax return Moreno Valley Tax Preparer Convicted of Filing False Tax Return, Wire Fraud, and Identity Theft Santa Paula Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax and Wire Fraud Charges – Benjamin Aparicio, the owner of B.A. Income Tax located in Santa Paula, pleaded guilty on Oct. 25, 2010 to charges that he aided and assisted in the preparation of false tax returns and committed wire fraud with respect to mortgage loans.