Reagan T. Fondren Acting United States Attorney for the Western District Of Tennessee | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee
A Memphis tax preparer has admitted to preparing and filing false tax returns for clients, resulting in significant losses to the federal government. Rebecca Gilley, 41, who also used the names Rebecca Green and Rebecca Maxwell, owned and operated a tax preparation business in Memphis.
According to information from court documents and proceedings, Gilley prepared fraudulent tax returns for her clients from 2018 through 2022. The returns included false education credits and sick and family leave credits, leading her clients to receive inflated refunds they were not entitled to.
For the 2020 and 2021 tax years alone, Gilley submitted over 1,000 tax returns that sought more than $9.25 million in fraudulent sick and family leave credits. In most cases, she added these false items without informing her clients and seldom reviewed the completed returns with them. The total loss caused by her actions exceeded $350,000.
Gilley pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. Her sentencing is set for June 10, 2026 before U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L Parker. She faces up to three years in prison; there is no parole available under the federal system.
As part of her plea agreement, Gilley will pay $386,661 in restitution to the IRS and will be permanently barred from operating as a tax return preparer. She also faces supervised release and financial penalties. The final sentence will be determined by the court after consideration of federal guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant stated: "Protection of the United States Treasury and taxpayer resources is a top priority for the Department of Justice and this office. Income tax fraud schemes strike at the very heart of our federal government’s financial ability to provide services and protection for our citizens, and we will use all available resources to punish and deter such dishonest criminal behavior.”
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Prosecution is being handled by Trial Attorneys Caroline Pearson and Max Willner-Giwerc from the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Tax Section.
