New York Paralegal Blog

A recent court decision has struck down the Trump administration's tariffs, calling them illegal. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the legal challenge, celebrated the ruling, stating it's a win for American families and businesses. This decision is a major victory in the ongoing effort to protect consumers from unnecessary costs and economic harm. What's a Tariff, Anyway? Think of a tariff as a tax on imported goods. When a country imposes a tariff, it makes products from other countries more expensive for consumers at home. For example, a tariff on foreign-made cars would make those cars pricier in the U.S., which might encourage people to buy American-made cars instead.  While tariffs are often used to protect local industries, they can have a downside. They often lead to higher prices for everyone, including consumers and businesses that rely on imported parts. This can contribute to inflation and may even lead to job losses in some sectors. T...

Hey everyone, let's talk about a big win for consumers! The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) just delivered a huge blow to a business opportunity scam that tricked people with false promises of easy money through Amazon and Walmart. It's a tough reminder to be cautious, but also a fantastic example of justice being served. What Happened? Basically, these companies and their operators — including a key player named Steven J. Mayer — told folks they could make a fortune by having the defendants set up and run online stores for them. We're talking claims of "$100K+ per month" and even "million-dollar" operations. Sounds great, right? The harsh reality? These promises were almost never true. Instead of striking it rich, most people lost tens of thousands of dollars and ended up buried under crushing debt. It's truly heartbreaking to hear about people trying to secure their financial future only to be preyed upon like this. As Christopher Mufarr...

WASHINGTON – The United States has sued a Houston tax preparer, seeking to put him out of business, the Justice Department announced today. The civil injunction suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, seeks to permanently bar Kyle C. Kasten and his business, KJ & J Tax Services, from preparing federal returns for others. According to the government complaint, Kasten prepares federal income tax returns with fabricated claims for the federal fuel tax credit. The credit is available only in limited circumstances for off-highway business use. Kasten allegedly claimed that one customer used 44,005 gallons of gasoline in 2007 when the customer’s return showed he earned only $802 that year. The complaint states that, assuming a cost of $2 per gallon, the customer would have had to spend $88,010 to purchase that amount of gasoline. In another example identified in the complaint, Kasten allegedly claimed that a customer used 55,083 gallons of gasoline in 2007....