Fargo tax preparer pleads guilty in fraud case

federal courthouse 12-21-18 — The Quentin N. Burdick United States Courthouse in downtown Fargo.

By Forum staff

March 15, 2023 at 10:57 AM

FARGO — A Fargo tax preparer has pleaded guilty in a federal fraud case.

Thompson B. Tarr, 43, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, March 14, to aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false and fraudulent return in 2017, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in North Dakota.

Tarr is set to be sentenced Aug. 7. He faces up to three years in prison, according to a plea agreement detailing the maximum penalty.

Tarr prepared or assisted in preparing hundreds of tax returns, prosecutors said. He admitted to wrongfully claiming tax exemptions for one taxpayer, prosecutors said.

IRS investigators found that Tarr prepared 30 other false tax returns for 13 people for years, which led to $105,474 worth in tax losses from false deductions and credits, according to prosecutors.

Court documents said the taxes were prepared for the years between 2014 and 2017.

“Honest taxpayers are the ones hurt by deliberate violations of federal tax laws,” North Dakota U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider said in a statement.

By Forum staff

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of "staff." Often, the "staff" byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

Fargo tax preparer pleads guilty in fraud case

IRS investigators found that Thompson Tarr prepared 30 false tax returns for 13 people for years, which led to $105,474 worth in tax losses from false deductions and credits, prosecutors said.