Tax Evasion Lawyers in South Pasadena

"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 South Pasadena, 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.

It's important not to confuse "tax avoidance" and "tax evasion." They are two different things, but some people mistakenly use them interchangeably. Tax avoidance involves using legal methods, such as tax deductions and exemptions, in a strategic manner, for the purpose of reducing one's tax liability. Tax avoidance is perfectly legal. Tax evasion involves fraud, and a deliberate attempt to avoid meeting one's legal obligations to pay taxes.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in South Pasadena, California

Under federal and state law, including the laws of California, tax evasion is a very serious crime.

In South Pasadena, tax evasion can result in anything from a relatively small fine, and a court order to pay any back taxes as well as interest, all the way up to financial penalties in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, as well as jail time.

However, the punishments for tax evasion, especially first offenses involving relatively small amounts of money, is not normally so severe, especially 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 show that a defendant in South Pasadena, California intentionally engaged in fraud to get out of paying taxes, a tax court is highly unlikely to show any leniency, and may well sentence the defendant to prison time.

A South Pasadena, California Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A tax attorney in South Pasadena, California can ensure that you meet your tax liabilities, which will make an audit, or charge of tax evasion, less likely. Sometimes, it's difficult 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 South Pasadena, California tax lawyer immediately. If you are innocent, a tax attorney will make sure you have the best chance possible at being acquitted.