Date: October 10, 2023 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov A Nevada woman pleaded guilty on Friday to assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns. According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2015 to 2020, Jessica Avras operated a Las Vegas tax preparation business. During that time, Avras prepared and filed false returns that fraudulently reduced the income tax owed and/or inflated the tax refunds due to her clients. Avras routinely reported fictitious businesses that had significant purported losses or reported fabricated deductions, including noncash charitable contributions and sales taxes. Avras admitted that her conduct caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $525,000. Avras is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 4, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. She also faces a period of supervised release and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Thomas Flynn and Samuel Robins of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
