Tax Evasion Lawyers in Surfside

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

Most frequently, people who try to evade their taxes in Surfside, Florida will take steps to harbor 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 Surfside, Florida

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

In Surfside, the penalties for tax evasion can range from a court order to pay back taxes, plus a small fine, and range all the way up to penalties in the tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars, and imprisonment.

Normally, an initial offense of tax evasion, if the amount of tax evaded is comparatively small, will not result in jail time or massive fines. This is particularly the case if the government has trouble proving that the failure to pay taxes was the result of willful evasion, as opposed to an honest error in accounting.

On the other hand, if the prosecution can establish that a Surfside, 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 Surfside, Florida Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A Surfside, 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.

However, if you're truly accused of tax evasion, you will need a Surfside, 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.