John Matthews
WMAL.com
ANNAPOLIS — (WMAL) Peter Franchot can’t believe some of the names of the tax-preparation businesses he’s seen.
“You’ve just gotta read the names of some of these places. ‘Max Tax Service,’ ‘Money Back Tax 4 All.’ These places are just one step above palm reading,” says the Maryland Comptroller, who has stopped accepting returns from 19 more businesses this tax season because he suspects they are preparing returns for customers that are rife with fraud.
“You as a taxpayer are responsible for what the tax preparer submits,” warns Franchot. “You’re signing the return, so if there’s fraud in it, you’re liable for it,” he adds.
Franchot’s black list of suspect tax-preparation businesses has grown to nearly a hundred in the past year. He would like to get most of them shut down, but under the current state law, he lacks the authority to investigate the firms. There are bills pending in both the Maryland House and Senate to give Franchot more authority to chase shady tax-preparers.
In the meantime, Franchot suggest you go with a name you know for help with your taxes. You can also get your state return processed for free at any Maryland tax office.
But whatever you do, Franchot warns, “If they have a sign in front of their store saying, ‘Palm Reading and Tax Preparation,’ don’t go there!”
Here is a list of tax-prep services that the Maryland Comptroller’s office will no longer accept returns from:
· Integrated Multi Services, 1620 Elton Road, Ste. 204, Silver Spring, MD 20903
· First Rate Tax Service, 28 Henley Ct., Baltimore, MD 21244
· MD Tax Solution and Multi Services, 212 E. Main St., Ste. 208, Salisbury, MD 21801
· Tax4All LLC, 6507 New Hampshire Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912
· United Tax Pro, 6969 Richmond Hwy, Ste. 204, Alexandria, VA 22306
· Samuel Tax Services, 1005 North Point Blvd., Ste. 728, Baltimore, MD 21224
· A&E Tax Services, 5013 Frederick Ave., Baltimore, MD 21229
· Japrhispanic LLC, 8626 Flower Ave. 1, Takoma Park, MD 20912
· Money Back Tax LLC, 11120 New Hampshire Ave., Ste. 506, Silver Spring, MD 20904
· Rightway Financial Services LLC, 3363 Sudlersville South, Laurel, MD 20724
· Robinson Tax and Bookkeeping SRV, 4812 Liberty Heights Ave., Gwynn Oak, MD 21207
· A Year Round Tax Service Inc., 5820 York Road, Ste. T200, Baltimore, MD 21212
· Max Tax Service, 1019 University Blvd., Ste. 102, Silver Spring, MD 20903
· Marylis LLC, 113 Ellington Blvd., Apt. 421, Gaithersburg, MD 20878
· Sky Tax Service, 5981 Columbia Pike, Ste. 202, Falls Church, VA 22041
· MSM DBA PTS Tax Service, 6790 W. Broad St., Douglasville, GA 30134
· Trinity Supermarket Inc.,105 E. Pollock St., Mount Olive, NC 28365
· BKPR Management, 110 Q St., Washington, DC 20001
· Precise Financial, 8601 Harford Road, Ste. B, Baltimore, MD 21234.
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