Tax Evasion Lawyers in Lauderdale By The Sea

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

Most often, people who try to evade their taxes in Lauderdale By The Sea, Florida will take steps to conceal their assets and income, or transferring their property to other legal entities in a fraudulent manner.

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 using 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 Lauderdale By The Sea, Florida

Under the laws of Florida, as well as federal law, tax evasion is a very severe criminal offense.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Lauderdale By The Sea range from paying back taxes plus interest (a relatively mild punishment) all the way up to years in prison, and fines in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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 especially true if the prosecution can't definitively prove that that the defendant's failure to pay taxes was purposeful, as opposed to an honest mistake.

But if the government is able to definitively prove that a defendant in Lauderdale By The Sea, Florida 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 Lauderdale By The Sea, Florida Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A tax attorney in Lauderdale By The Sea, Florida 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 exactly what one's tax liability is, and a tax attorney can help.

In the unfortunate event that you're actually charged with tax evasion, it's imperative that you hire a qualified tax attorney in Lauderdale By The Sea, Florida. 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.