By Trish Svoboda

A consent judgment has been reached between a Wichita-based accounting services company, Bookkeeping N Beyond LLC, and its owner, Nicole Clem, following an investigation by the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the District Attorney.

The District Attorney’s Office alleged that Clem and her business violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) by failing to fulfill their commitment to timely file 2021 tax returns, not disclosing to consumers that electronic filing was not possible at the time, and providing misleading information about the reasons for the delays in expected tax refunds.

Although Clem and the business denied any intentional violation of the KCPA, they opted to accept a consent judgment to address the issue. According to the agreement, the Defendants are to bear the responsibility for $120,000.00 in civil penalties, additional investigative expenses, and court costs. They are also being placed on a 12-month probationary period under the supervision of the Consumer Protection Division. In addition, Clem and the business committed to refunding affected consumers whose 2021 tax returns were either filed late or had to be processed by another accounting service. They also agreed to reimburse consumers who incurred late fees or penalties due to the untimely filing of their returns.