Nashville Tax Return Preparer Indicted for Tax Fraud

Nicole Bond Hicks, 45, of Nashville, Tenn., was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Nashville, Tenn., on charges related to preparing and filing false income tax returns, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee and Tracey D. Montaño, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation. Hicks was charged with 14 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for other individuals and one count of interfering with the administration of the internal revenue laws.

According to the indictment, Hicks was the owner of America’s Tax Table, a tax preparation business in Nashville, Tennessee. During the period of around 2007 through 2011, Hicks prepared and caused to be filed approximately 3,700 tax returns on behalf of her clients. Specifically, the indictment charges that she aided in the preparation of at least 14 false tax returns for other individuals from January 2010 through March 2011.  The fraudulent returns inflated or created fictitious medical and dental expenses, cash charitable contributions, and fictitious, unreimbursed employee business expenses. These fictitious expenses created hundreds of thousands of dollars in false expenses and deductions and allowed clients to obtain income tax refunds they were not legally entitled to. 

If convicted, Hicks faces up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski is representing the United States.

An indictment is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.