Tax Evasion Lawyers in Bessemer

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

One of the most common common tactics of tax evaders in Bessemer, Alabama is to attempt to make it appear to an outside observer that their tax liability is lower than it actually is, such as by concealing income, fraudulently transferring property, and others.

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 Bessemer, Alabama

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

In Bessemer, the penalties for tax evasion can range from a court order to pay back taxes, plus a small fine, and range all the way up to penalties in the tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars, and imprisonment.

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 Bessemer, Alabama 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 Bessemer, Alabama Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Bessemer, Alabama 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.

However, if you're actually accused of tax evasion, you will need a Bessemer, Alabama 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.