South Florida tax preparer sentenced to prison for $20 million IRS fraud
A Hialeah tax preparer has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison for orchestrating a $20 million tax fraud scheme that spanned several years and violated a previous court order barring her from preparing false tax returns.
Beatriz Toledo, 61, the owner of Immigration and Tax Service Group LLC, was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty in December 2024 to aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
In addition to 57 months in prison, she will serve one year of supervised release and must pay more than $20 million in restitution to the IRS.
Prosecutors said that between 2017 and 2021, Toledo knowingly filed thousands of fraudulent tax returns, inflating clients' refunds by falsely claiming Residential Energy Credits, itemized deductions for state and local sales taxes and illegitimate business expenses.
In total, she submitted about 7,800 fraudulent returns, causing an estimated $20 million in lost tax revenue, authorities said.
Her business collected approximately $7.1 million in preparation fees, which were deducted directly from clients' refund checks.
Toledo's crimes also violated a permanent injunction imposed on her in 2010 by a federal district judge, which prohibited her from preparing false tax returns.
Despite agreeing to the injunction in 2020, she continued the fraudulent activity and was indicted in 2024.
Authorities said the case underscores the IRS's commitment to cracking down on tax fraud and holding violators accountable.
