Tax Evasion Lawyers in Fellsmere

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

Most commonly, people who try to evade their taxes in Fellsmere, Florida will take steps to hide 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 unlawful 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 Fellsmere, Florida

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

In Fellsmere, tax evasion can result in anything from a comparatively 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.

In most cases, especially when the amount of taxes evaded is small, and it's a first offense, the punishment will normally be fairly mild. It will normally result in an order to pay the taxes the defendant owes, plus a small financial penalty. This is especially likely when it cannot be proven that the failure to pay taxes was willful.

But if the government is able to definitively show that a defendant in Fellsmere, Florida 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 Fellsmere, Florida Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

An attorney in Fellsmere, 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 really accused of tax evasion, you will need a Fellsmere, 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.