Lawsuit hits tax preparer for tactics

A tax company based in DeKalb County may be shut down during tax filing season following allegations of fraud and illegal fee collection.

The attorney general of Illinois has filed a lawsuit against Nu Republic, asking for a temporary restraining order to immediately stop its operations.

Nu Republic is headquarted in Tucker, according to its website and registrations on the Georgia secretary of state’s website.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul claimed Nu Republic accumulated more than $1 million in unlawful fees from customers. Its loca- tions include several on the south side of Chicago, Raoul said in a statement last week.

The attorney general’s lawsuit alleges that Nu Republic told tax-filers it could double their tax returns or net free cash advances if they pay a fee of about $350.

“In reality,” Raoul said, “Nu Republic extracts additional high, undisclosed fees from consumers’ tax refunds without their knowledge, and the company charges consumers for unnecessary and expensive tax-related financial products.”

The fees can total more than $1,000, he said.

Nu Republic did not respond to requests for comment. The company’s website does not include a list of its locations, its officers, or tax filing information.

“I am asking the court to immediately shut down Nu Republic so that no other consumers are cha r ged these illegal fees to file tax returns,” Raoul said in the statement.