Tax Evasion Lawyers in New Port Richey

"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 New Port Richey, 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 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 New Port Richey, Florida

Both federal law and the law of Florida treat tax evasion as a serious criminal offense.

In New Port Richey, 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.

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 New Port Richey, 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 New Port Richey, Florida Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A New Port Richey, Florida attorney who concentrates in tax law can help ensure that you are in conformity with all applicable tax laws, making an accusation of tax evasion less likely.

In the unfortunate event that you're actually charged with tax evasion, it's imperative that you hire a qualified tax attorney in New Port Richey, 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.