Two federal judges in separate cases entered orders permanently barring Marvin Binion Sr., his son Marvin Binion II, Binion Sr.’s ex-wife Tonya Hubbard and her firm Universal Tax Service LLC from preparing tax returns for others.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan has issued an order permanently barring Nataki Davis, (formerly known as Nataki Barnes), a Southfield, Mich., tax preparer, from preparing federal tax returns for others for a period of five years, the Justice Department announced today.

The Justice Department announced today that a federal district judge in Charleston, S.C. permanently barred Stacy Middleton from preparing federal income tax returns for others.

The Justice Department announced today that the United States has filed a civil injunction suit against Michael I. Turner, of San Diego to stop him from preparing federal tax returns.

The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into a comprehensive agreement with the Parish of St. Tammany, La., and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff to correct conditions of confinement at the St. Tammany Parish Jail and to ensure that improvements made since the Department’s investigation will be maintained.

The Justice Department announced today that a federal court has permanently barred Nina Thompson Price from preparing federal tax returns for others.

The Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that yesterday Leslie Louise Brewster of Durham, N.C. was sentenced to serve 70 months in federal prison for crimes related to preparing false tax returns and identity fraud.

A federal court in Memphis, Tenn., permanently barred the owners of Mo’ Money Taxes, Markey Granberry and Derrick Robinson, as well as a former Mo’ Money manager, Eumora Reese, from preparing tax returns for others and owning or operating a tax return preparation business, the Justice Department announced today.

The Justice Department announced today that a federal district judge in Kansas City, Mo., permanently barred Mark Steven Hall from preparing federal income tax returns for others.

A federal court has permanently barred Gary J. Stern from promoting tax fraud schemes and from preparing related tax returns, the Justice Department announced today.

Former Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Hebert, 48, pled guilty today to one civil rights violation, five bank fraud violations and one aggravated identity theft violation, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite Jr. for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Anderson of the FBI New Orleans Field Office and Sheriff Newell Normand from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit in a federal court in Memphis today to stop Stephanie Edmond and her businesses, the Tax Factory and Tax Factory Enterprise Inc., from preparing federal income tax returns.

The United States filed a lawsuit yesterday in The District of New Jersey to bar Eric Majette of Somerville, N.J., from preparing federal tax returns, the Justice Department announced today.

The Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit today in Memphis federal court to stop Grady Smith, who does business as One Price Refunds, from preparing federal tax returns.

A federal district judge in Charleston, S.C., has permanently barred Jessica Geddis, of Summerville, S.C., from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.

A 63-count superseding indictment charging Chatonda Khofi, Ishmael Kosh, Amadou Sangaray and Francis Saygbay in a conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was unsealed on Monday, December 23, in Minneapolis, Minn.

Russell Burroughs, a resident of Montgomery, Ala., was indicted on 33 counts of filing false tax returns, Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama announced today.

The United States has asked a federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to permanently bar Keisha Stewart and her company, Professional Tax Services Inc., from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.

Today, a federal court in the Eastern District of North Carolina permanently barred Sharon D. Rhodes and her businesses, R&S Freedom Tax Service and Changing Faces Annoited Tax Services, from preparing tax returns for others.

The Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit in the federal court in Delaware today to enjoin Carmen J. Martinez and her business, CJM Bookkeeping and Taxes LLC, from preparing federal tax returns.

The Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit today in the federal court in Nashville, Tenn., to stop Gilberto Cortes and his business, Mundo Hispano Services, from preparing federal tax returns.

Ranti Azeez-Taiwo of Staten Island, N.Y., was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.

On Feb. 26, 2014, a federal grand jury sitting in the District of Columbia returned a 17 count indictment charging Sherri Davis for conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), aiding and assisting in the preparation of false individual income tax returns and filing false individual income tax returns, the Justice Department and IRS announced following the unsealing of Davis’ indictment today.

Williesteina Jacobs was indicted in the Eastern District of New York on March 21, 2014, and charged with 27 counts of aiding in the preparation of false returns, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service announced today following her arrest.

The Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada to stop Bill Sunga Modina, who allegedly does business as 5M Financial and 6M Financial, from preparing federal tax returns.

The United States filed a civil lawsuit today in Pittsburgh federal court to permanently bar Larry E. Snow, of Seward, Pa., from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service announced today.

A federal jury convicted certified public accountant Jeffery Deshon Applewhite, aka Jeffrey Donald Mason, a resident of Los Angeles County, California, of 20 counts of aiding and assisting the preparation and presentation of false tax returns late yesterday.

A federal judge in California has permanently barred Michael I. Turner, of San Diego, from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.

Sybil Marshall Coles, 45, of Pamplin, Virginia, was sentenced today to serve five years in prison for aggravated identity theft and preparing a false tax return.

A federal district judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida permanently barred Lazaro Jesus Toyos and his daughter Dilma Carida Garcia, aka Dilma Toyos Garcia, and their respective companies, L. Toyos Tax Service Inc. and Toyos Garcia Tax Service Inc., from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today

According to court documents submitted today, BNP Paribas S.A. (BNPP), a global financial institution headquartered in Paris, agreed to enter a guilty plea to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA) by processing billions of dollars of transactions through the U.S. financial system on behalf of Sudanese, Iranian, and Cuban entities subject to U.S. economic sanctions

A federal court has permanently barred Kavivah Branson, aka Kavivah Bradley, of Clinton, Mississippi, and her Jackson, Mississippi, business, Branson Tax Service, from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The civil injunction order, to which Branson consented, was signed by Judge Tom S. Lee of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi

The Departments of Justice and Education announced today that they have reached a comprehensive agreement with the Jefferson Parish Public School System in Louisiana (JPPSS) to ensure that all students can enroll in school regardless of their own national origin or immigration status, or that of their parents or guardians. The agreement also resolves complaints regarding JPPSS’ policies and practices for communicating with parents who have limited English proficiency (LEP) and JPPSS’ response to alleged harassment of Latino students based on their national origin

BNP Paribas S.A. (BNPP), a global financial institution headquartered in Paris, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield in the Southern District of New York to a one-count information charging the bank with conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA), for its role in processing billions of dollars of U.S. dollar transactions through the U.S. financial system on behalf of Sudanese, Iranian, and Cuban entities subject to U.S. economic sanctions from 2004 through 2012

The United States filed a complaint today to bar Victor M. Crown, individually and through his businesses Crown and Franklin Accounting and Refunds, Crown-Franklin Accounting Inc., Accurate Accounting PV, and Lourdes Theodossis Estate, from promoting two alleged tax fraud schemes and from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced

The Department of Justice announced today that an $80 million False Claims Act judgment was entered against BNP Paribas for submitting false claims for payment guarantees issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

A federal court has permanently barred William Naes of St. Charles, Missouri, from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The permanent injunction order, to which Naes consented, was entered by U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri

The United States filed a complaint in federal court in Chicago to bar Laurie G. Helfer, aka Laurie G. Powell, individually and through her businesses Laurie’s Freelance & Tax Preparation Services and Tax Lady Laurie Inc., from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today

A federal court in New Orleans has permanently barred Shawanda Nevers, of La Place, Louisiana, from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.

A federal district judge in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida has permanently barred Jeanne Covington, of Tampa, Florida, and her company, Jeanne’s Tax Preparation and Bookkeeping Inc., from preparing federal income tax returns for others.

UPDATE 2: On August 21, 2019, the government filed a notice of appeal in this case.

UPDATE: On July 8, 2019, the judge in the pending litigation described below issued an order setting aside the CMS rule. The full opinion is available here.

If nothing changes, the new rule about including drug pricing in TV ads from CMS will go into effect one week from today on July 9, 2019.

There are a few wrinkles to keep in mind as we approach this deadline. First, there's a lawsuit pending that could delay the rule's implementation. Second, the operational challenges of abiding by the rule are the biggest hurdle including the expanded 2253 filing requirements. Third, the rule's scope is still unclear. Fourth, the rule doesn't preclude or preempt the PhRMA Principles change from April. Finally, the overlapping but non-identical scope of the rules could lead to some confusion and compliance hiccups. This post addresses each of these points in turn.

Pending Litigation

Operational Challenges 

Rule Scope Unclear

CMS Rule Adds to (Doesn't Replace) PhRMA's Pricing Requirements

TL;DR

The dietary supplement industry as a whole is enjoying booming sales as consumer stock up on products to support optimum health. But an industry strategist warns that that sales bump is likely to be ephemeral, and brands that are not strategizing vigorously now may be caught out in the near future.

Dec 4, 2019

The authors explain why the Trump administration's reiteration of its intent to finalize U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is a tragic mistake that will weaken us as a nation.

Dec 4, 2019

The authors explain why the Trump administration's reiteration of its intent to finalize U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is a tragic mistake that will weaken us as a nation.

Dec 4, 2019

The authors explain why the Trump administration's reiteration of its intent to finalize U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is a tragic mistake that will weaken us as a nation.