David Lee Brannum, Tax Evasion, Idaho 2024
Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Falsifying Income Tax Returns
BOISE, Idaho - David Lee Brannum, 56, now of Washougal, Washington, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for preparing false income tax returns for clients of his business, 'Dave's Tax Service,' U.S. Attorney Bart Davis announced today.
U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered that Brannum pay $101,550 in restitution to the IRS and placed Brannum on one year of supervised release after his prison sentence ends.
According to court records, in January 2019, Brannum pleaded guilty to one count of assisting, advising, and counseling clients to submit materially false federal income tax returns to the IRS.
From 2003 through 2015, Brannum operated his tax preparation business in Idaho and Nevada and submitted hundreds of federal income tax returns.
Brannum often claimed false and fraudulent itemized deductions for his clients, which had the effect of decreasing their tax liability and generating improper refunds.
Specifically, Brannum inflated the amounts of his clients' charitable contributions and entered amounts for unreimbursed employee expenses that were not substantiated, that he inflated, or that he knew were not allowable.
This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division.
David Lee Brannum, the owner of 'Dave's Tax Service,' was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for his role in preparing false income tax returns for clients in Idaho.
Brannum, 56, was ordered to pay $101,550 in restitution to the IRS and will serve one year of supervised release after his prison sentence ends.
The investigation into Brannum's business was conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division.
Brannum pleaded guilty in January 2019 to one count of assisting, advising, and counseling clients to submit materially false federal income tax returns to the IRS.
From 2003 through 2015, Brannum operated his tax preparation business in Idaho and Nevada and submitted hundreds of federal income tax returns.
He often claimed false and fraudulent itemized deductions for his clients, which had the effect of decreasing their tax liability and generating improper refunds.
This case highlights the importance of ensuring the accuracy and honesty of tax preparers and the consequences of failing to comply with tax laws.
Key Facts
- State: Idaho
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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