Houston-area tax preparer accused of filing fake claims to get higher refunds for clients, US attorney says

FILE - This July 24, 2018, file photo shows a portion of the 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return form. Its the time of year to start thinking about taxes - what's ahead and what can be done now to manage. But the upcoming tax filing season is going to be trickier for many Americans due to rampant unemployment, working from home and general upheaval due to COVID-19. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) (Mark Lennihan, Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

HOUSTON – A man who owned several Houston-area tax preparation offices was indicted for allegedly falsifying tax returns for his clients, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release Tuesday.

David Wright is charged with 14 counts of aiding and assisting clients to file false income tax returns.

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If convicted, Wright could face up to three years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine.

On March 18, court documents showed Wright had opened several tax preparation offices in Houston and allegedly created fraudulent Schedule C items on his clients’ Form 1040 tax documents. The form is used for sole proprietorship businesses to report profits and losses to the IRS.

The U.S. Attorney’s office said this allowed Wright’s clients to receive a higher tax refund, allegedly causing thousands of dollars of tax harm to the government.


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A graduate of the University of Houston-Downtown, Ana moved to H-Town from sunny southern California in 2015. In 2020, she joined the KPRC 2 digital team as an intern. Ana is a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, a catmom of 3, and an aquarium enthusiast. In her spare time, she's an avid video gamer and loves to travel.