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14 years overseas, fake tax agent gets caught coming home
A 44-year-old Victorian man has been sentenced to 5 months in jail at the Parramatta Local Court for both obtaining and attempting to obtain a financial advantage by deception. Mr Ibrahim El-Hassan pretended to be a tax agent and lodged multiple false income tax returns on behalf of unsuspecting clients, and stole refunds totalling $43,205. He was also ordered to pay $43,205.63 in reparation.
An investigation was first launched in 2006 after a bank employee noticed an account had received two Australian Taxation Office (ATO) refunds of more than $10,000 on the same day in different names. It was discovered that Mr El-Hassan had lodged five false income tax returns on behalf of clients who believed him to be a registered tax agent.