Tax Evasion Lawyers in Zephyrhills

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

Most frequently, people who try to evade their taxes in Zephyrhills, 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 Zephyrhills, 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 Zephyrhills 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 deliberate, as opposed to an honest mistake.

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

An attorney in Zephyrhills, Florida specializing in tax law can help you comply 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.

Of course, if you've truly been accused of tax evasion, you should hire a Zephyrhills, Florida tax lawyer immediately. If you are innocent, a tax attorney will make sure you have the best chance possible at being acquitted.