Tax Evasion Lawyers in South Salt Lake

In Utah, "tax evasion" is a crime that involves a purposeful failure to pay the taxes that the taxpayer legally owes.

There are a few strategies that tax evaders use in South Salt Lake, Utah. One of the most frequent tactics is to make it appear that the taxpayer has less taxable income than they actually do. There are a wide number of ways to hide income for the purpose of evading one's tax liability, but all of them are illegal.

You should not confuse "tax evasion" with "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is illegal, and involves deliberately failing to pay one's taxes which they lawfully owe. Tax avoidance, on the other hand, is legal, and involves utilizing legal strategies to lower one's legal tax liability. For example, strategically using deductions and tax credits to lower the amount of money you are legally obliged to pay, is an example of tax avoidance, assuming you actually pay your tax bill, whatever it ends up being.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in South Salt Lake, Utah

The laws of the federal government, as well as Utah take tax evasion extremely seriously, making it a crime.

Tax evaders in South Salt Lake can be punished by multi-year prison sentences, as well as six-figure fines. Of course, there is a wide range of penalties available, with the ones just mentioned representing the most severe options available.

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 willful, as opposed to an honest mistake.

However, if it can be clearly proven that a person or corporation in South Salt Lake, Utah intentionally attempted to hide income or assets for the purpose of getting out of taxes, a court will probably throw the book at them, so to speak. This can mean jail sentences measured in years, and fines in the six or seven figures.

A South Salt Lake, Utah Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in South Salt Lake, Utah 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 really charged with tax evasion, it's essential that you hire a reliable tax attorney in South Salt Lake, Utah. 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.