Atlanta tax preparer ordered to pay IRS $567,000 for filing fraudulent returns

A Georgia tax preparer has been permanently banned from working in the tax preparation industry after a federal court determined that she filed fraudulent tax returns for clients and made hundreds of thousands of dollars from the scheme. Tanja D. Hollis, the founder of Tanja Tax Preparations LLC in Griffin, Georgia, was ordered to close her business after the U.S.

District Court for the Northern District of Georgia issued a permanent injunction, according to the Department of Justice. The court order, issued on Nov. 10, bars Hollis from preparing tax returns, helping others prepare returns, interfering with the enforcement of federal tax laws, or promoting fraudulent tax schemes.

According to the DOJ, Hollis knowingly submitted federal income tax returns that reduced customers’ tax liabilities by claiming business expenses for people who did not own or operate businesses, as well as education expenses for customers who were not enrolled in school. The court also found that she altered customers’ adjusted gross income by reporting fake business profits. Those fabricated earnings helped customers qualify for larger Earned Income Tax Credit payments than they were legally entitled to receive.

In addition, the court found that 90% of the tax returns Hollis prepared between 2022 and 2025 contained the false items, Fox 5 Atlanta reports. As part of the judgment, Hollis was ordered to pay the federal government $567,000 in illegal profits she earned from preparing fraudulent tax returns. The DOJ said it has secured injunctions against hundreds of tax preparers accused of improper conduct over the past decade.

Taxpayers who suspect wrongdoing can report their concerns to the appropriate federal authorities. The Internal Revenue Service also urges taxpayers to research preparers before sharing sensitive financial information. Its Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers lets consumers look up professionals with IRS-recognized credentials and certain qualifications.

The IRS also offers guidance on how to choose a tax professional.