Tax Evasion Lawyers in Fitzgerald
"Tax Evasion" refers to the crime of deliberately failing to pay one's taxes, as required by Georgia law.
Most frequently, people who try to evade their taxes in Fitzgerald, Georgia will take steps to harbor their assets and income, or transferring their property to other legal entities in a fraudulent manner.
You may also be familiar with the term "tax avoidance." It is important that you don't confuse this with "tax evasion." Tax avoidance is perfectly legal, and is probably something that every taxpayer does whenever they file, whether they know it or not. It involves employing legal methods to make one's tax liability as small as possible, taking advantages of deductions and other tax breaks.
Penalties for Tax Evasion in Fitzgerald, Georgia
Both federal law and the law of Georgia treat tax evasion as a significant criminal offense.
In Fitzgerald, tax evasion can result in anything from a relatively 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, especially first offenses involving relatively small amounts of money, is not typically so severe, especially 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 establish that a defendant in Fitzgerald, Georgia 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 Fitzgerald, Georgia Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help
Attorneys in Fitzgerald, Georgia 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 imperative that you hire a knowledgeable tax attorney in Fitzgerald, Georgia. 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.