Georgia Firefighters Caught Up In Tax Return Scam

An income tax return preparer in Georgia that catered to firefighters is being investigated for tax fraud, and now the state is reviewing the returns of 1,400 taxpayers, most of whom are firefighters.

The Georgia Department of Revenue has confirmed to WSB-TV5 Atlanta that it is reviewing 1,400 potentially fraudulent returns prepared by Kim Griffin’s Tax Time, located in the City of Griffin. Channel 5 is reporting that Griffin would tout her knowledge of tax deductions for firefighters, and that word of her work was spread from firefighter to firefighter.

In the spring of 2018, an employee of Griffin’s was caught in an undercover operation where she fabricated $8,000 worth of deductions for a revenue agent posing as a taxpayer. A statement from the Department of Revenue stated:

• In the case of Tax Time, the Department is still reviewing the 1,400 returns we believe to be fraudulent.
• The Department of Revenue is helping these taxpayers get back into compliance which unfortunately, often times includes the repayment of unearned tax returns.
• It is important to remember a taxpayer is ultimately responsible for the information on their return and if a refund seems out of the ordinary or too good to be true, it probably is.