Republic Bancorp said its refund transfer business boomed in the first quarter March 31 as the dollar volume or tax refunds processed increased by 77 percent over the year-ago quarter. The company's net income was up 28 percent while refund transfer fees rose by 20 percent.

Michael Alter, long-time president of SurePayroll, has taken a position as CEO of the Tie Bar, which designs, manufactures and markets low-cost men's neckties. Alter, who had been president of SurePayroll since November 2003, took the new job this month.

The owner of a North Carolina tax franchise, whose ability to efile returns was shut down in 2012, has pleaded guilty to tax fraud, healthcare fraud and money laundering in two separate cases in federal court. Claude Arthur Verbal II, formerly of Raleigh, N.C., and now of Miami, faces up to 28 years in prison and $850,000 fines. He has agreed to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and Medicaid.