Tax Evasion Lawyers in Calabasas

"Tax Evasion" refers to the crime of deliberately failing to pay one's taxes, as required by California law.

Usually, the strategy employed by tax evaders in Calabasas, California is to try and make it look like they have less taxable income than they actually do. This can be done by failing to report income, concealing it, or fraudulently transferring property.

"Tax evasion" should not be confused with "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is the act of deliberately attempting to get out of one's tax liability through unlawful means. Tax avoidance is perfectly legal, and involves utilizing legal strategies (such as taking advantage of deductions and tax credits) to reduce one's legal tax liability. However, someone engaging in tax avoidance typically intends to pay whatever they end up owing, even as they try to reduce the amount they owe.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Calabasas, California

Under the laws of California, as well as federal law, tax evasion is a very egregious criminal offense.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Calabasas range from paying back taxes plus interest (a relatively mild punishment) all the way up to years in prison, and penalties in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Most often, tax evasion - if it's a first offense and the tax liability is small - will not be cause for huge fines or imprisonment. This is particularly true if the prosecution can't definitively prove that that the defendant's failure to pay taxes was intentional, as opposed to an honest mistake.

But if the government is able to definitively show that a defendant in Calabasas, California intentionally engaged in fraud to get out of paying taxes, a tax court is very unlikely to show any leniency, and may well sentence the defendant to prison time.

A Calabasas, California Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A tax attorney in Calabasas, California can ensure that you meet your tax liabilities, which will make an audit, or charge of tax evasion, less likely. Sometimes, it's challenging to determine clearly what one's tax liability is, and a tax attorney can help.

Of course, if you've really been accused of tax evasion, you should retain a Calabasas, California tax lawyer immediately. If you are innocent, a tax attorney will make sure you have the best chance possible at being acquitted.