PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Christopher Kauffman, 37, of Summerville, South Carolina was charged in a criminal Information with filing a false tax return.
According to the Information, Kauffman operated an accounting and tax preparation service in South Philadelphia in 2011 and 2012. In 2012, Kauffman deposited fees from his clients into his personal bank account. Some of the receipts included money Kauffman was supposed to use to pay the tax obligations of some of his clients. Instead, Kauffman used the money to pay for his personal expenses. He subsequently failed to report $160,347 in business receipts on his personal income tax return for the year 2012.
“Our tax system requires tax payers to truthfully report their income. Professional accountants and tax preparers know that better than anyone, and yet the defendant here breached that duty," said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “He compounded his crime by using his clients’ money as his own. My Office will continue to aggressively pursue business people who operate in such an illegal manner."
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of three years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Inspector General’s Office for Tax Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard P. Barrett.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
