Local tax preparers facing conspiracy charges

A pair of local tax preparers are facing charges of conspiring to defraud the U.S. government, authorities said.

Father and son David and Nadav Kalai — who worked for United Revenue Service (URS) in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and other locations — and a New York-based URS manager prepared false tax returns that omitted clients’ foreign accounts and income made from offshore accounts, federal authorities said.

Authorities allege that all three concealed clients’ assets from the Internal Revenue Service by incorporating offshore companies in Belize and elsewhere, and helped open secret bank accounts in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Luxembourg.

The men are accused of helping clients hide funds abroad and failing to disclose the existence of such accounts, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

David Kalai worked in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, federal authorities said, while Nadav Kalai worked in Newport Beach and other locations.

URS has 12 locations throughout the U.S., federal authorities said.

If convicted, each of the three men faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

—Lauren Williams

Twitter: @lawilliams30