Maryland Comptroller Suspends 27 Tax Preparers

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot has suspended tax processing at 27 businesses in greater Baltimore, including in Essex and Middle River.

Liberty Tax Service offices on Eastern Boulevard in Essex and on Back River Neck Road in Middle River are not allowed to process returns while Franchot’s office probes what it says are problematic filings such as reporting business income when the taxpayer did not own business; requesting refunds significantly higher than in previous years; inflating and/or failing to document business expenses; claiming dependents when not providing 50 percent of support/care; and inflating wages and withholding information.

As a result, the comptroller has suspended tax filing operations at these 23 Liberty Tax franchises:

• 11262 Georgia Avenue, Wheaton
• 200 N. Highland Avenue, Baltimore
• 435 C Eastern Boulevard, Essex
• 201 Back River Neck Road, Middle River
• 2039 W. Pratt Street, Baltimore
• 2201 N. Charles Street, Baltimore
• 2927 Emmorton Road, Abingdon
• 312 S. Broadway, Baltimore
• 343 Belair Road, Baltimore
• 3414 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore
• 3427 Dundalk Avenue, Dundalk
• 4422 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore
• 6518 B Reisterstown Road, Baltimore
• 7305 York Road, Towson
• 7565 Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie
• 8020 New Hampshire Avenue, Langley Park
• 7730 Wise Avenue, Dundalk
• 2400 E. Monument Street, Baltimore
• 1742 W. North Avenue, Baltimore
• 2401 Liberty Heights Avenue, Baltimore
• 1808 Pennyslvania Avenue, Baltimore
• 3308 Greenmount Avenue, Baltimore
• 503 W. Lexington Street, Baltimore

Processing has also been suspended at four other non-Liberty sites: EB Tax Services at 1809 Pennsylvania Avenue and 2322 Monument Street in Baltimore; B & B Tax Services at 4707 Harford Road, Suite B, in Baltimore; and DE Brown, 36B East 25th Street in Baltimore.

The Comptroller’s Office reports that it is investigating all Liberty Tax Service franchise locations as well as other businesses and will keep the public informed.

The comptroller began processing returns in January, and the filing deadline for individual taxpayers is April 18.

Still from Verlisify/YouTube.