Tax Preparers Not Entitled to Jury Trial for Disgorgement Claims

The Seventh Amendment doesn’t provide employees of a tax preparation group the right to a jury trial on claims for disgorgement of profits made from allegedly filing false tax returns on behalf of their clients, a federal district court in Florida held.

Judge Kathryn K. Mizelle of the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida on Monday granted the government’s motion to strike the Madison Tax Services employees’ demands for a jury trial. The tax-preparation company along with the three tax return preparers were accused of unlawfully claiming deductions and credits to maximize customer refunds over the course ...