Texas Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison as Part of False Tax Return Scheme
Official release from U.S. Department of Justice press releases, not original reporting. Charges are allegations unless a conviction is stated.
A Texas tax return preparer was sentenced on October 7, 2026, to 14 months in prison for her role in conspiring to file false tax returns on behalf of clients.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately February 2020 to October 2022, Sivagami Chidambaram conspired with a tax return preparation business owner and several of his employees to defraud the United States by filing tax returns for clients that contained false business expenses. These false expenses artificially reduced the taxes the clients owed to the IRS, which enabled them to receive refunds to which they were not entitled. Sometimes, Chidambaram added false business expenses on client returns by asking the client about work-from-home expenses, even though Chidambaram knew such expenses could not be claimed on their returns. In some instances, Chidambaram included false business expenses on clients’ tax returns before speaking with the client. In other instances, Chidambaram added false items to appease clients who demanded higher tax refunds. Chidambaram admitted to causing a tax loss to the United States exceeding $250,000 but less than $550,000.
Three other tax return preparers – including a tax return preparation business owner and two of his employees – were sentenced to prison in July in relation to the same scheme. One tax return preparer who admitted to filing false tax returns for clients was sentenced to home confinement.
Tax preparation business owner Mathews Chacko was previously sentenced to 50 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the IRS as part of the same scheme. Chacko admitted to causing a tax loss to the United States exceeding $3.5 million but less than $9.5 million. Tax preparers Anish Pillai, Subhala Suresh, and Mou Kundu were previously sentenced to 26 months’ imprisonment, 18 months’ imprisonment, and 18 months’ home confinement, respectively, after pleading guilty to aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return as part of the same scheme.
Source attribution
- U.S. Department of Justice press releases
Original source links
- U.S. Department of Justice press releases: Original source
About this story
Text of the official government release (public domain), quoted as published — attributed above. · Texas
Issued by: U.S. Department of Justice press releases. Selected by InstaBriefs for relevance to our readers; not original reporting or independent verification. Charges described are allegations unless a conviction is stated.
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