Two tax preparers who filed phony returns for prison inmates have drawn multi-year sentences. Kamal J. James aka Bro Messiah Aziz El, 34, of Seaford, Del., drew a nine-year prison term, and Crystal G. Hawkins aka Sis. Crystal Gabri El, 39, of Laurel, Del., four years for their role in the fraud.

The results for the tax season fell behind the 2015 results at a rate that has continued to weaken over the last four weeks. The number of returns for the season through April 8 dropped to 107,452,000, down 3 percent from 110,754,000 for the year earlier through April 10, 2015. The number processed dropped by 3.2 percent for the season to date to 104,527,000 returns, off from 108,000,000 from last year's corresponding period.

A Nashville, Tenn.-based tax preparer faces a variety of federal charges stemming from alleged fraud on her own tax returns and on those she prepared for clients. Tracy Brown, who operated Total Tax Services, from her residence, has been indicted on six counts of assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, two counts of filing false personal tax returns and one count of obstructing the due administration of the internal revenue laws.

Observers were hoping return totals would rise in the late stages of the tax season. Instead, the number of returns received, processed and electronically filed have worsened over the last three weeks of reports by the Internal Revenue Service. Returns received dropped 1.4 percent to 97,631,000 for the period ended April 1, compared to the corresponding period for tax season 2015 through April 3.