Tax Evasion Lawyers in Laurel

Tax Evasion in Montana is a criminal act in which someone knowingly fails to pay their taxes.

Usually, tax evasion is accompanied by an attempt to make it appear to the government of Laurel, Montana that one's tax liability is lower than it actually is. This can include concealing income, making fraudulent transfers of property, and other illegal activities.

You may also be familiar 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 Laurel, Montana

Both federal law and the law of Montana treat tax evasion as a severe criminal offense.

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

Usually, a first offense of tax evasion, if the amount of tax evaded is relatively small, will not result in jail time or massive fines. This is especially the case if the government has trouble proving that the failure to pay taxes was the result of deliberate evasion, as opposed to an honest error in accounting.

However, if the relevant tax authorities are able to demonstrate that a taxpayer in Laurel, Montana committed deliberate fraud, in order to evade their legal duty to pay taxes, a tax court is probably going to impose a more severe penalty, which may include jail time, and large financial penalties.

A Laurel, Montana Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Laurel, Montana who practice tax law can help you stay in compliance with your tax obligations. This is a good way to ensure that you won't be suspected of tax evasion in the first place.

However, if you're really accused of tax evasion, you will need a Laurel, Montana tax attorney more than ever. If you are, in fact, innocent, a tax attorney can give you the best possible chance of being found not guilty.