Tax Evasion Lawyers in South Portland

Within Maine "tax evasion" is the crime of failing to pay the taxes that they owe.

Most often, people who try to evade their taxes in South Portland, Maine will take steps to conceal their assets and income, or transferring their property to other legal entities in a fraudulent manner.

You may also be acquainted with the term "tax avoidance." It is critical that you don't confuse this with "tax evasion." Tax avoidance is perfectly legal, and is probably something that every taxpayer does whenever they file, whether they know it or not. It involves employing legal methods to make one's tax liability as small as possible, taking advantages of deductions and other tax breaks.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in South Portland, Maine

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

Punishments for evading one's taxes in South Portland 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.

However, the punishments for tax evasion, particularly first offenses involving relatively small amounts of money, is not usually so severe, particularly when it looks like the failure to pay taxes was the result of an honest mistake, rather than deliberate fraud.

But if the government is able to definitively prove that a defendant in South Portland, Maine 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 South Portland, Maine Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in South Portland, Maine who practice tax law can help you stay in conformity with your tax commitments. This is a good way to confirm that you won't be suspected of tax evasion in the first place.

In the unfortunate event that you're actually charged with tax evasion, it's critical that you hire a qualified tax attorney in South Portland, Maine. If you are actually innocent, your tax attorney can help make sure that you have the best chance you can of being found not guilty.