Bellevue tax preparer sentenced to 18 months in prison

Published 10:30 am Thursday, July 16, 2026

U.S. District Judge Lauren King said that a Bellevue tax preparer showed “complete disrespect for the law” after he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for three counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns.

The prison term for Thanjavur Manavalan, the 65-year-old owner and operator of Mano Accounting Services, was handed down on July 15 in U.S. District Court in Seattle, according to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd in a United States Department of Justice press release.

The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation handled the case.

During the eight-day jury trial in March 2026, Judge King found that the total tax loss to the U.S. Treasury exceeded $250,000. The trial detailed more than a dozen tax returns for tax years 2018-2020 alleged to contain false and fraudulent information. Manavalan was ordered to pay restitution of $115,672 and a $100,000 fine.

Manavalan — whose business provided services to many tech workers from India — falsified a variety of items on clients’ tax returns, including charitable contributions, proceeds and initial price (basis) of investments sold, business losses, rental income, and private loans, according to records filed and trial testimony.

“Prosecutors noted that Manavalan’s tax prep business filed thousands of returns and grew substantially over the course of the fraud scheme. By saving his clients money on their taxes, Manavalan developed a reputation that helped build his business, helping his firm’s year-over-year growth spike from about fifty additional tax returns to almost 300. He was paid per return, so the business growth meant he earned more money,” reads the press release.

Carrie Nordyke, special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office, said: “Mr. Manavalan’s actions were deliberate and violated the trust placed in him by his clients and community. The sentencing reflects the seriousness of his conduct and underscores our commitment to holding tax professionals accountable for their choices.”