The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued a permanent injunction today against Miami tax return preparers and brothers, George and Luis Brito, and their businesses. The permanent injunction bars George Brito from preparing federal income tax returns, working for or having any ownership stake in any tax preparation business, assisting others (including family members) prepare tax returns or set up business as a preparer and transferring or assigning customer lists to any other person or entity. The court similarly enjoined Luis Brito, George’s brother, from preparing income tax returns for individuals. The Britos consented to entry of the permanent injunction against them.

The complaint alleged that George and Luis Brito owned or controlled Brito and Brito Accounting USA Inc. According to the complaint, the Brito brothers prepared returns for customers that claimed various false or fabricated deductions and credits, including fabricated residential energy credits, false and exaggerated itemized deductions and fictitious and inflated business expenses.

According to the permanent injunction, George Brito and his businesses are forever barred from preparing returns for others and from any involvement in the preparation of federal tax returns. He has closed his office located at 407 Lincoln Rd #9A, Miami Beach, FL 33139.

The terms of the agreed order require Luis Brito to inform his customers that has been permanently enjoined from preparing tax returns except for certain types of business forms, including those reporting payroll, unemployment and corporate income taxes. The agreed order states that as a condition for being allowed to prepare those forms, the IRS is allowed to make unscheduled and random on-site visits to Luis Brito’s business and requires him to complete at least 24 hours of tax preparation education by Dec. 31.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.

In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.