The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today announced that the owner and operator of Sukenik Tax Center at 634 Broadway, Kingston, paid $85,714 in taxes, penalties, and interest on April 8 after pleading guilty to charges related to filing false tax returns for clients and himself.

Investigators with the Tax Department’s Criminal Investigations Division arrested 67-year-old Boris Sukenik, a certified public accountant who resides at 27 Coffey Place, Kingston, on felony charges of criminal tax fraud and offering a false instrument for filing on April 8. Sukenik’s charges related to misreporting income on clients’ returns in a scheme to claim larger earned income tax credits and refunds.

“We continue to work diligently with our colleagues at the Tax Department and with all our partners in law enforcement to bring unethical tax preparers to justice,” said John Harford, who leads the New York State Tax Department’s Criminal Investigations Division. “I thank the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.”

As part of a plea agreement, Sukenik paid $85,714 in tax, penalties, and interest owed to New York State at the time of pleading guilty to misdemeanor counts of the original charges.

Sukenik, who owns and operates Sukenik Tax Center, is expected to be sentenced June 3 in Kingston City Court to three years of probation and ordered to pay additional fines totaling $11,000.

Tax preparer checklist

To help consumers screen potential tax preparers, the Tax Department has published a checklist on its Tips for hiring a tax preparer webpage. Use the checklist as a guide before you hire a preparer.

If you're aware of a tax preparer who has engaged in illegal or improper conduct, you can file a tax preparer complaint online or contact the New York State Tax Department at 518-530-HELP (option #2). The information is kept confidential. The Tax Department promptly reviews each complaint and takes corrective action when appropriate.