William R. Zweifel, Tax Evasion, Texas 2013

Tax Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Causing Tax Loss of More Than $2 Million

HOUSTON – A notorious tax attorney has been sentenced to prison for his role in causing a tax loss of more than $2 million. William R. Zweifel, a certified public accountant, was handed a total sentence of 37 months in prison, a $10,000 fine, and ordered to pay $250,000 in restitution to the IRS.

Zweifel pleaded guilty to two counts of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns that were false or fraudulent. The tax losses to the United States from the false claims on the two income tax returns listed in the criminal information were approximately $61,000 and $42,000, respectively.

According to the plea agreement filed in the record of the case, Zweifel acknowledged he was a tax attorney and CPA and that he prepared false income tax returns for some taxpayers that claimed large tax refunds to which the taxpayers were not entitled. He used a method to create a false income tax refund by offsetting a taxpayer’s income with an alleged loss from either a partnership in which the taxpayer had no partnership interest or from an S corporation which reported no loss for the taxpayer to claim.

Zweifel stipulated in the plea agreement that the tax loss to the United States in this case is approximately $2.2 million. He agreed to never again aid or assist in the preparing or presenting of tax returns for any taxpayer other than himself and any entity he owns. He further agreed not to oppose any civil injunction action brought by the United States seeking to enjoin him from preparing income tax returns for anyone but himself and any entity he owns.

Zweifel was previously released on bond and was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. This matter was investigated by IRS-CI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles J. Escher.

Zweifel’s defense presented documents to the court showing that he had filed a motion with the Supreme Court of Texas seeking to resign as an attorney and counselor at law in Texas. Documents were also presented indicating that Zweifel had agreed with the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy to a consent order revoking his individual CPA certificate and firm CPA license in Texas.

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