Tax Evasion Lawyers in Cooper City

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

Most frequently, people who try to evade their taxes in Cooper City, Florida will take steps to harbor their assets and income, or transferring their property to other legal entities in a fraudulent manner.

"Tax evasion" should not be confused with "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is the act of knowingly attempting to get out of one's tax liability through prohibited means. Tax avoidance is perfectly legal, and involves utilizing legal strategies (such as taking advantage of deductions and tax credits) to reduce one's legal tax liability. However, someone engaging in tax avoidance typically intends to pay whatever they end up owing, even as they try to reduce the amount they owe.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Cooper City, Florida

The federal government and the laws of Florida impose grave penalties for tax evasion - treating it as an extremely serious crime.

Tax evaders in Cooper City 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.

On the other hand, if the prosecution can establish that a Cooper City, Florida taxpayer engaged in fraud, and knowingly failed to pay their taxes, a tax court will probably impose the most grave punishment that's permitted by law. This can easily involve jail time.

A Cooper City, Florida Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

An attorney in Cooper City, Florida specializing in tax law can help you adhere with all the tax laws that apply to you, which makes it very unlikely that you'll ever be accused of tax evasion in the first place.

However, if you're truly accused of tax evasion, you will need a Cooper City, Florida 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.