<prompt> Human: This is a cross post from rlegaladvice. It was recommended to me that you all also may have some insight.New York, NYI got married this summer, but need to file taxes as married filing separate due to student loan debt. Since we had never filed in that status before, my wife and I chose to go to a CPA recommended by a friend.As he was preparing our returns the CPA told us that since we werent married the whole year we could still file under single. We asked if we really were allowed to do that, and he said yes. As it was a significantly larger return we went with that option.We then asked some unrelated questions about IRAs for the future and how it affects taxes. His answers were bizarre, and didnt match any of the research we had done or anything other investment advisors had said to us.We left feeling very unsettled. My wife was worried that maybe he was also wrong about filing as single. When we got home we did some quick research and discovered that the law is very explicit on the matter: we cannot file as single if we were married before or on Dec 31st. Doing so for the larger tax break constitutes tax fraud.I immediately called the CPA and told him not to file our returns. He responded by saying he only did what we told him to do, and if it was wrong its our fault. He accused me of lying in order to try to get my money back which, yes, I would like my money back.My questions:1. I paid the CPA several hundred dollars. Can I recoup that money based on his recommending we commit a crime?2. How can I be sure that he does not file a fraudulent return on our behalf? We already signed the paper allowing him to file for us. If he does, what then?3. Are there other issues that could potentially come back to bite us from this?Thank you for your time.  <response>: Report him to the IRS. Find out if he is licensed. If he is, report him to your state board of accountancy - they will be very interested in this. If he is not, also report him to your state board of accountancy - they will be even more interested in this.You signed a form authorizing him to file a return on your behalf. He is correct that you are ultimately responsible for what is on your return, but if you correct the return by the filing deadline, and if your return as filed was correct as you understood it at the time, you do not have to worry about tax fraud. You were told to file as single by someone who claimed they are licensed to practice accountancy. While the increase in taxes for filing MFS is your responsibility, as is the cost of preparing and filing any amended return or other forms, there is no case to be made that you perpetrated tax fraud. You should deliver a signed letter to your CPA which says you are requesting they stop any further representation or financial or tax advicepreparation from them or anyone else in their firm if they have a firm. You may be able to get the amount you paid them back since they prepared a return in seemingly bad faith the fact that they accused you of lying, and claimed I only did what you told me to do are pretty good indicators he was not acting in your best interest.If you signed any power of attorney or similar representation authorization forms with them, be sure to go through and revoke them. Talk to the IRS, and talk to a lawyer. 