Columbus Woman Faces Tax Fraud Charges

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) — A Columbus woman already banned from preparing federal tax returns now faces criminal charges.

Cynthia Carter, 49, of Cynthia’s Tax Service faces a hearing Thursday in U.S. District Court in Aberdeen on 17 charges that she filed fake claims for first-time homebuyer tax credits and other deductions on customers’ tax returns.

She is free on $5,000 bond.

If convicted of all charges, she faces up to 145 years in prison and up to $4.25 million in fines.

Last October, a federal judge ordered her to never again to federal tax return work for customers after investigators claimed she filed dozens of returns claiming false deductions that could have amounted to more than $4 million in lost tax revenue. She operated the business on 5th Avenue North in Columbus for three years before the IRS caught up to her last year. She previously was an assistant manager for a local fast-food chain for eight years and a convenience store for two years prior to that. She also worked for a national tax preparation service for four years before opening her own business.

She received her associates degree online from Colorado Technical University.