INVESTIGATORS AND GETTING RESULTS TOGETHER WITH ERIK VON ANCKEN THIS IS NEWS 6 AT 5
GETTING RESULTS.
>> MATT: TONIGHT NEWS 6
INVESTIGATES A LOCAL COMPANY
THAT’S SUPPOSED TO HELP CENTRAL
FLORIDIANS FILE THEIR
INCOME TAXES. THE COMPANY
PROMISES CUSTOMERS WILL RECEIVE
THE MAXIMUM TAX REFUND
BUT NOW SOME CUSTOMERS ARE
BEING AUDITED BY THE IRS AND
MUST PAY BACK THOUSANDS OF
DOLLARS TO THE GOVERNMENT WHAT
A MESS NEWS. 6 INVESTIGATOR
MIKE DEFOREST IS DIGGING INTO
THIS AND MIKE THE COMPANY IS
ACCUSED OF FILING INACCURATE
TAX RETURN THAT’S WHAT THE
CUSTOMERS ARE TELLING US LISA
WE HIRE A TAX PREPARATION
COMPANY ASSUME THAT THE
EMPLOYEES KNOW THE FEDERAL TAX
LAWS AND HAVE FILLED OUT YOUR
INCOME TAX RETURN CORRECTLY,
BUT TONIGHT CUSTOMERS WHO
TRUSTED NEIGHBORHOOD ADVANCE
TAX SAY THEY BIG BUCKS TO THE
IRS.
>> I HONESTLY I EVEN LOOKED
AT AN UNDERSTANDING IS THAT
LIKE MANY DOREEN VOTING HATES
DOING HER OWN TAXES SO THIS
YEAR SHE HIRED NEIGHBORHOOD
ADVANCED TAX TO FILE HER RETURN
AND WHEN I WENT
>> HE TOLD ME THAT THEY CAN
GIVE YOU A BIGGER REFUND I
ASKED HIM I SAID HOW IS IT
POSSIBLE THAT YOU’RE GETTING
PEOPLE BACK.
>> A LOT OF MONEY I MEET HIM A
CAN USE THE SAME COMPANY AND HE
SAID WELL. WE GET YOU THE
EXEMPTIONS AND
DEDUCTIONS POSSIBLE.
>> BOTH WOMEN DID RECEIVE LARGE
TAX REFUNDS BUT TONIGHT THEY’VE
BEEN FORCED TO PAY IT BACK TO
THE GOVERNMENT AFTER RECEIVING
LETTERS FROM THE IRS SAYING
THEY WERE BEING AUDITED.
>> YOU KNOW I I GOT
THIS HONESTLY.
>> I WAS IN TEARS BUT KIM SAYS
AN EMPLOYEE AT THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD ADVANCE TAX
LOCATION IN SANFORD FILLED OUT
HER
TAX RETURN AS YOU CAN SEE HER
TOTAL INCOME WAS A LITTLE MORE
THAN
$33,000 TO LOWER HER TAX BILL
THE RETURN INDICATES MCKIM
CLAIMED
ITEMIZED DEDUCTIONS BUT THEY
TOTAL NEARLY $33,000 I BARELY
MAKE NOW HOW CAN THAT THERE’S
SOMETHING NOT
RIGHT THERE.
>> THE IRS IS MCKIM IMPROPERLY
CLAIM TAX DEDUCTIONS FOR GAS
AND MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES ARE
TAX RETURN ALSO INDICATE SHE
DONATED NEARLY $10,000
TO CHARITY.
>> I TOLD HIM I SAID THEY DON’T
HAVE ANY GOOD OPTIONS I DON’T
HAVE ANY CONTRIBUTION ANY NOT
ONLY CANNOT. I MAKE ENOUGH TO
PAY
MY BILLS.
>> NEIGHBORHOOD ADVANCED TAX
TOLD MCKIM HE WOULD BE
RECEIVING A TAX REFUND OF
NEARLY $2500. BUT AFTER THE IRS
AUDIT CAUGHT
THOSE ERRORS. THE KIMS REFUND
WAS JUST $166 AS FOR BOWDEN IT
TURNS OUT SHE WAS NOT EVEN
ELIGIBLE FOR HER NEARLY $4400
REFUND SHE ACTUALLY OWED MONEY
TO THE GOVERNMENT I WOULD
NEVER.
>> DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT
ESPECIALLY WITH IRS ALREADY
SCARE PERSON.
>> DESPITE THE ERRONEOUS TAX
RETURNS NEIGHBORHOOD ADVANCE
TAX CHARGED EACH OF THOSE
CUSTOMERS MORE THAN A $1000 IN
TAX PREPARATION FEES.
>> THEY NEED TO GET MONEY BACK.
>> WHEN I TRIED CALLING THE
COMPANY THE PHONE LINES OF ALL
9 OF ITS CENTRAL FLORIDA
LOCATIONS WERE EITHER
DISCONNECTED OR WENT
TO VOICEMAIL.
>> AND THEIR OFFICES ARE NOW
CLOSED FOR THE SEASON, EVERYONE
DISAPPEARED AND NOBODY WANT
NOBODY HAS AN ANSWER.
>> BUT TONIGHT MY NEWS 6
INVESTIGATION MAY BE GETTING
RESULTS WHEN I REACHED ONE OF
THE COMPANY’S OWNERS FRANKLIN
CARTER ON HIS PERSONAL
CELL PHONE. HE SAID HE HAD NO
IDEA THAT HIS COMPANY’S PHONE
LINES WERE NOT WORKING AND HE
CLAIMS HE WAS UNAWARE OF ANY
CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT
INACCURATE TAX RETURNS BUT
TONIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD ADVANCE
TAX HAS SET UP A BRAND NEW
CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE WE
POSTED THAT PHONE NUMBER ON
OUR WEBSITE CLICK ORLANDO DOT
COM. THE OWNER TELLS ME HE JUST
WANTS TO GET EVERYTHING
RESOLVED AND MENTIONED THE
POSSIBILITY OF ISSUING REFUNDS
TO THOSE CUSTOMERS WHO WERE
AUDITED MATT LISA CERTAINLY BE
NICE NOTED THAT MIKE
THANK YOU.
>> LISA: SO AND ONE QUESTION IS
THE IRS LOOKING INTO THIS TAX
PREPARATION COMPANY AT LEAST WE
DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT
AN IRS SPOKESPERSON TOLD US
THEY COULD NOT ANSWER IT CITING
PRIVACY LAWS, BUT THE IRS DID
PROVIDE YOU SOME INFORMATION ON
HOW CUSTOMERS CAN FILE
COMPLAINTS ABOUT ATTACK PREP