Emeryville tax preparer sentenced to just one 12 months in federal prison for tax fraud

OAKLAND — A woman who owned an Emeryville tax preparing organization has been sentenced to 366 times in federal jail soon after pleading guilty to filing a false tax return, courtroom information demonstrate.

Traci Austin, 44, of Brentwood, was sentenced Oct. 5 by U.S. District Decide Haywood Gilliam, who also ordered Austin shell out back again $183,303 to the IRS. Federal prosecutors billed Austin previous 12 months with submitting extra than 40 untrue tax returns and accused her of internet hosting an illicit “tax school” where budding tax preparers could find out that tricks of the tax fraud trade.

In court documents, prosecutors reported Austin’s organization,  Emeryville Tax Expert services, operated mostly in Emeryville and Berkeley and that she “willfully aided in the submission of at least 42 tax returns that contained some blend of untrue dependents, and fake Schedule A itemized deductions for unreimbursed personnel organization expenses” from 2016 to 2019. Prosecutors questioned for an 18-month jail expression.

Austin’s legal professional, Leeds Disston, wrote in a sentencing memo, wrote that Austin was motivated by “a motivation to aid her clients who have been frequently lousy and to reward herself by making a results of her company.” Disston asked for a sentence of residence detention and group services.

“(Austin) has expressed shame and contrition and has taken actions to more her formal instruction. Definitely the offense is not a person of violence and the principal target is the govt,” Disston wrote. “However Ms. Austin acknowledges and regrets that she uncovered her consumers, who were being generally close friends, to audits and potential tax penalties.”

Austin has until finally Feb. 3, 2023 to report to the Bureau of Prisons to start serving her sentence.