COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – A woman in Richland County has been charged with 20 counts of willfully making or assisting in false or fraudulent state tax returns, according to the South Carolina Department of Revenue.
Arrest warrants allege Brenda Lykes Green, 67, assisted in the preparation of false tax returns for ten tax payers from 2016 through 2020.
Lykes operated East Columbia Tax Services, LLC, and a total of $896,502 was reported as income on the state individual tax returns for these tax payers, according to the SCDOR.
Investigators say the total income that should have been reported was $1,402,747, so the returns included fraudulent deductions which resulted in a $36,279 tax loss to the state.
During the investigation, the SCDOR found that none of the taxpayers consented or had knowledge of the fraudulent deductions.
Greene faces a maximum sentence for each count of five years in prison and/or a fine of $500 if convicted. She will also have to pay the cost of prosecution.
Greene is being held in the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center pending a bond hearing.
The SCDOR is committed to the fair administration of tax laws. By taking enforcement action against noncompliant taxpayers, the Department seeks to prevent unfairly increasing the tax burden on those who do comply.
If you suspect or know of anyone or a business that has committed a state tax crime, such as tax evasion or tax fraud, contact SCDOR Criminal Investigation and submit a Tax Violation Complaint Form (CID-27) to criminalinvestigation@dor.sc.gov.
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