<prompt> Human: United States: My friend says he went to this accountant and they amended past years and went from owing the IRS to them owing HIM. He lives a normal life style, doesnt have a mortgage, doesnt go to school, basically it should be a 1040ez. The accountant has to be lying about what they are reporting right? Would he ever get in trouble if he were caught or is the liability all with the accountant? Assistant: When you sign the return, the liability is all on you. Most accountants who work on your taxes make you sign a doc that says, I prepared this return from information provided by you, which gives them a walk-away card if the IRS swoops down on you for filing tactics the accountant may have suggested or just implemented. This is why even when you have a CPA do your paperwork, you have got to understand everything that results, and be ready to ask questions.It is perfectly possible to file amended returns for past years to claim missed deductions and turn balances owed into refunds... some of the time. But if the accountants bright idea is for you to claim 5,000 in fictional charitable deductions, inflate your local taxes owed, etc., etc. to turn your picture around, back away from the table.With a 1040EZ there are only a few variables to play with anyway, you can complete one in 10 minutes, so I am very skeptical that any accountant can find more money for you on that playing field in straight-up fashion.Human: Thats what I figured. I asked him more about it and he says he was just claiming that he was going back to school when he wasnt and other things his accountant actually recommended to him. It sounds like straight up tax fraud that shes asking him to do.  <response>: I really hope he hasnt signed anything yet. Because yeah, super illegal. 