Texas Man Sentenced to Prison for Promoting Abusive Tax Shelter
Facilitated Concealment of More than $27M in Income from the IRS
Friday, September 11, 2026 - A Texas man was sentenced this week to 60 months in prison for promoting an abusive tax shelter to business owners around the country.
According to court documents, Aanand Shukla, of Jonestown, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States related to his efforts to promote a fraudulent tax shelter to business owners across the country. According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2017 to 2025, Shukla and his co-conspirators promoted, sold and personally used an abusive trust tax shelter that promised clients — for quoted fees as high as $225,000 — that they could “own nothing, control everything” and eliminate taxes on nearly all of their business income while maintaining full control over their money.
Shukla marketed the scheme nationwide through seminars, webinars, podcasts and direct sales pitches. He instructed clients to restructure their companies so that approximately 98% of their business income flowed through layered trusts and a private family foundation. He told clients to run personal expenses — such as vehicles, entertainment and mortgage payments — through trust accounts and claim those expenses as deductions. Shukla typically sold these trust packages to clients for $25,000 to $55,000, created trust documents, trained other promoters and referred clients to tax preparers he had personally selected and knew would participate in the scheme. Shukla facilitated the concealment of more than $27 million in income from the IRS.
On March 10, Shukla pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s Nation Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Boris Bourget, Trial Attorney Michael L. Jones and former Trial Attorney Lauren K. Pope of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
Source: Justice.gov
