Dantavious Jackson was sentenced to 84 months in prison after operating a ghost tax preparation business that fraudulently sought more than $4 million in COVID-19 employment tax credits and caused the IRS to issue over $1.5 million in improper refunds. The sentence includes restitution to the IRS and reflects federal efforts to prosecute pandemic-era tax fraud.

In a Southern District of Georgia prosecution, Dantavious Jackson received an 84-month prison sentence for running a so-called ghost preparer tax operation that prepared and filed fraudulent claims for COVID-19 employment tax credits, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced. Investigators determined the scheme sought in excess of $4 million in credits, prompting the Internal Revenue Service to issue more than $1.5 million in improper refunds before the fraud was detected. Jackson's operation allegedly prepared returns and credit claims on behalf of businesses without proper substantiation and often without disclosing his role to clients, exploiting pandemic-era relief programs intended for legitimate employers. The court ordered restitution to the IRS as part of the sentence, reflecting the financial harm to the government and its programs. Prosecutors emphasized this case as part of broader enforcement priorities to combat pandemic-related fraud and ghost preparer schemes that undermine tax administration integrity. The conviction and sentence also serve as a deterrent against preparers who facilitate fraudulent claims for emergency relief funds and tax credits.