This story was originally posted to MyNorthwest.com
The owner and operator of Bellevue-based Mano Accounting Services was convicted of falsifying tax returns.
Thanjavur Manavalan, 65, was convicted last week of three counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
Manavalan falsified a variety of items on clients’ tax returns, including charitable contributions, proceeds, and the initial price of investments sold. He also fabricated business losses, rental income, and private loans, according to records filed in the case.
His tax preparation business catered to workers in the tech field, many of whom were originally from India. The workers testified that they trusted Manavalan to correctly file their taxes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Forstein told the jury that the items Manavalan added to the tax returns “were not typos, they were complete inventions.”
For three clients, Manavalan went so far as to make up businesses with substantial losses to deduct the losses on tax returns.
Bellevue tax preparer grew business by saving clients money through fraud, prosecutors say
Manavalan’s business filed thousands of returns and grew substantially during the scheme, prosecutors noted. As more clients received larger tax refunds, Manavalan’s business became more popular.
“Taxes can be complicated, but Mr. Manavalan’s scheme was not. He simply lied, going out of his way to falsify his clients’ tax returns,” Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office, stated. “Mr. Manavalan tried to grow his business and increase his profits through fraud, but today’s guilty verdict puts an end to these schemes.”
Twelve different tax returns with fraudulent information, for tax years 2018-2020, were outlined during the trial. The jury convicted Manavalan on three of the twelve counts, acquitted him on one count, and was unable to reach a verdict on eight of the counts.
The attorney’s office noted the U.S. Treasury lost more than $420,000 from the 12 counts
Manavalan’s attorneys tried to place the blame on his clients, saying they were the ones who provided information. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Martin countered, saying if that were true, “Manavalan found an extremely dishonest group of clients.”
“Manavalan took a kernel of truth and made it into a lie on the tax return,” Martin said.
The attorney’s office noted aiding and assisting with the preparation and presentation of a false tax return is punishable by up to three years in prison.
Manavalan’s sentencing is scheduled for July 15.
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