Taxpayers in Fulton County, Georgia accused Whitlan Tax Service owner Jahaya King and her husband of keeping their money and not filing their tax returns.
Customers of Whitlan Tax Service contacted Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln after receiving notices from the IRS. The notices informed them that their tax returns were never filed.
Now the victims owe thousands in unpaid taxes to the IRS and the state tax authorities.
Donna Hines claims she paid $15,000 to settle her elderly mother’s taxes. But King and her husband allegedly kept the money and didn’t pay the IRS.
“Every month she would have a thousand dollars withdrawn from my account,” Hines told Channel 2 News.
Hines said King told her the payments were being sent to the IRS.
Hines’ mother has since died, but she is still working to resolve tax debt tied to returns she says were never filed. She said the debt has ballooned to $28,000.
“If I had paid it on time, it would have been about $6,500,” Hines said. “Because of the penalties and the delay and no processing of her information, it is now $28,000.”
Another woman said King and her husband promised her a $40,000 refund, which seemed unrealistic at the time. The woman later learned her return was falsified.
Channel 2 reports that neither King nor her husband have a federally required Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) on file with the IRS.
Customers who called King’s office were told she was sick. But King was seen live-streaming on social media.
Lincoln visited Whitlan Tax Service and was told King was in the hospital. Lincoln then went to King’s home, where King spoke to her through a home alarm system.
“I’ll tell you what you need to do — you need to leave the street,” a voice from the home system said.
South Fulton police confirmed there is an active investigation involving Whitlan Tax Service. The IRS also confirmed it is reviewing the allegations.
