FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2002 WWW.USDOJ.GOV TAX (202) 514-2007 TDD (202) 514-1888 WASHINGTON, D.C. A federal court in Greensboro, North Carolina entered an injunction on November 8th against Alfred Abdo, Jr. of Winston-Salem. The court order permanently bars Abdo and his business, American Tax Planning, from: preparing or assisting in preparing federal income tax returns for others, giving any tax advice for pay, falsely claiming or representing that Abdo is a certified public accountant, threatening to sue or otherwise intimidating former clients who cooperate with the government or pay penalties associated with their Abdo-prepared tax returns, and promoting various frivolous tax schemes.
The court order also requires Abdo to send a copy of the injunction to every person for whom he has prepared a tax-related document.
In June, 2001, the court had entered a narrower preliminary injunction, barring Abdo from preparing frivolous returns or promoting tax schemes while the case was ongoing. Abdo shut down his internet website at that time.
"This injunction is an important victory in the Justice Department's battle against tax scams," said Claire Fallon, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Tax Division.
The government's court papers in the case demonstrated that Abdo operated two fraudulent tax schemes. In one, Abdo's clients filed false tax-withholding forms claiming unjustified exemptions. The government's filing further alleges that the second scheme involved Abdo prepared and filed false amended tax returns, illegally claiming that taxable income can be reduced by the amount of social security taxes paid. 02-665
Source: US Department of Justice
