Department of Justice Seal Department of Justice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2003
WWW.USDOJ.GOV
TAX
(202) 514-2007
TDD (202) 514-1888

FEDERAL COURT ORDERS FLORIDA TAX-RETURN PREPARER
TO TURN CUSTOMER LIST OVER TO JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Court Finds Gregory Mayer Aids Customers In Moving Income Offshore


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Late yesterday, a federal judge in Tampa issued a temporary restraining order requiring Gregory T. Mayer to provide the Department of Justice with a list of the names of all customers for whom he has prepared any income tax return, amended return, and/or request for refund in the past three years, as well as copies of these documents. The court's ruling also allows the Department of Justice to seek further information from Mayer immediately to identify all of his customers.

"Getting customer lists is an important step in our efforts to stop tax return preparers who promote tax scams," said Claire Fallon, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Tax Division. "Federal law requires return preparers to turn over their customer lists on request of the IRS. The Justice Department is taking vigorous action to ensure that preparers comply with this law."

Two weeks ago, the Justice Department sued Mayer, who does business in his own name and as Legal Tax Newsletter, LC, and Morton & Oxley, LTD, to stop him from promoting several alleged tax scams, including the so-called "Section 861 argument," named after the tax code section that it misrepresents. According to court papers filed by the Justice Department, Mayer also promotes a scam that uses sham trusts and offshore transfers to conceal income and assets from the IRS. The Department's suit seeks to prevent Mayer from preparing federal tax returns and representing clients before the IRS. More information on the suit is available at http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/03_tax_140.htm.

For copies of documents filed in this case, and for information on other tax scam enforcement actions, go online to http://www.usdoj.gov/tax/taxpress2003.htm.

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