Tax Preparer in Arizona Admits to Submitting False Tax Returns in Abusive Trust Scheme

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Arizona Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Assisting in False Tax Returns Scheme

In a significant development in the fight against tax fraud, Kent Ellsworth, an Arizona tax preparer, has pleaded guilty to two counts of assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. This guilty plea is part of a nationwide scheme that utilized abusive-trust tax shelters to defraud the IRS.

Ellsworth’s fraudulent activities, carried out through his business, Ellsworth Stauffer P.C., concealed over $60 million in income from the IRS, resulting in approximately $17 million in lost tax revenue. From 2017 to 2023, Ellsworth prepared and filed over 500 false tax returns for around 60 clients across the country, mostly successful business owners.

The scheme involved clients assigning nearly all their income to sham trusts and a so-called “private family foundation,” falsely claiming these as legitimate to avoid taxes. However, these entities were mere bank accounts under the clients’ control, not legitimate trusts or foundations.

Ellsworth faces serious legal consequences, including a maximum of three years in prison for each count of preparing and filing false tax returns, fines up to $250,000, a period of supervised release, and prosecution costs for each count. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Special Agent in Charge Andy Tsui of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Denver Field Office announced Ellsworth’s guilty plea. The IRS-CI is leading the investigation, with Trial Attorneys Amanda R. Scott and Lauren K. Pope, along with Senior Litigation Counsel Corey J. Smith of the Tax Division, prosecuting the case.

This case serves as a reminder to businesses and individuals of the importance of complying with tax laws and the severe consequences of attempting to defraud the IRS. Ellsworth’s guilty plea marks a significant victory in the ongoing battle against tax fraud.

Team@GQN.