KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) A Kansas federal judge has put a tax preparer out of business.

A&S Tax Services LLC and its owner, Semere Tsehaye, of St. Louis, consented to the civil injunction without admitting the allegations against them. The Justice Department also says A&S will pay $100,000 in civil penalties.

A&S was a franchisee of Instant Tax Service, which was sanctioned by an Ohio federal court in November. A&S operated Instant Tax Service offices at multiple locations in the Kansas City area.

The government alleges that A&S employees were instructed “to engage in systemic and pervasive tax fraud.”

The Justice Department says A&S routinely prepared tax forms that falsely claimed education and dependent-care credits. Authorities allege the returns also reported fictitious income and expenses to inflate the Earned Income Tax Credit.

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