A Miami, Fla.-based tax preparer, who had been barred from the tax business, must pay $403,967.70 to a federal court for violating that order. The preparer, Milagros Espinal, was barred from preparing or filing federal tax returns for others.

 Two Florida tax preparers have pleaded guilty to filing bogus income tax returns that cost the government slightly less than $2.9 million in fraudulent refunds.. Nikency Alexis and Thony Guillaume entered the pleas to charge of conspiring to defraud the United States and preparing false tax returns.

Three private collection agencies have received new contracts, the Internal Revenue Service said this week. The agencies can discuss overdue federal taxes with taxpayers and their ax representatives who have been notified by letter by the IRS their accounts been turned over to one of the companies for collection..

 Two New Orleans, La., area preparers have been barred from preparing federal income tax returns for others. The two, Mario Alexander and Leroi Gorman Jackson, were booted from the tax business by a federal judge after the government accused them of preparing fraudulent returns using a variety of techniques.