AUGUSTA, Ga. () – A Richmond County woman who operated a “ghost” tax preparation business in Augusta has been sentenced to federal prison, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.

Kim Brown, 40, was sentenced to 22 months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation and Filing of False Income Tax Returns. Brown is also being ordered to pay $541,912 in restitution and serve one year of supervised release upon completion of her prison term.

According to court documents, Brown failed to identify herself as a paid preparer on the tax returns that she prepared and filed for her clients out of her residence in 2022. Court documents also state that Brown fabricated income to qualify clients for tax credits, claimed fake deductions, and did not provide clients with copies of tax returns and review them before electronically filing them with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

“Not signing off on a tax return is just one of the signs someone is acting as a ghost preparer,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Today’s sentencing of Kim Brown is an example of IRS Criminal Investigation special agents working diligently to protect taxpayers from dishonest tax preparers and a notification to the public of just one scheme utilized by ghost tax preparers.”

“In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we continue to pursue those who defraud the government,” said U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Heap. “Kim Brown stole money from taxpayers, and this sentence holds her accountable.”