Tax Evasion Lawyers in West Palm Beach
"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 West Palm Beach, 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 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 West Palm Beach, Florida
Under federal and state law, including the laws of Florida, tax evasion is a very serious crime.
Punishments for evading one's taxes in West Palm Beach 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.
Normally, a first offense of tax evasion, if the amount of tax evaded is relatively small, will not result in jail time or massive fines. This is especially the case if the government has trouble proving that the failure to pay taxes was the result of deliberate evasion, as opposed to an honest error in accounting.
But, if the government can prove that a defendant in West Palm Beach, Florida purposely concealed income, in order to get out of paying taxes, a court will most likely impose the heaviest penalties allowed by law, including enormous fines, and several years in prison.
A West Palm Beach, Florida Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help
Attorneys in West Palm Beach, Florida who practice tax law can help you stay in compliance with your tax obligations. This is a good way to ensure that you won't be suspected of tax evasion in the first place.
In the unfortunate event that you're truly charged with tax evasion, it's crucial that you hire a knowledgeable tax attorney in West Palm Beach, 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.