Tax Evasion Lawyers in Ankeny

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

There are a few strategies that tax evaders use in Ankeny, Iowa. One of the most common tactics is to make it appear that the taxpayer has less taxable income than they actually do. There are a wide variety of ways to conceal income for the purpose of evading one's tax liability, but all of them are illegal.

"Tax evasion" should not be confused with "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is the act of willfully attempting to get out of one's tax liability through illegal means. Tax avoidance is perfectly legal, and involves using legal strategies (such as taking advantage of deductions and tax credits) to reduce one's legal tax liability. However, someone engaging in tax avoidance typically intends to pay whatever they end up owing, even as they try to reduce the amount they owe.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Ankeny, Iowa

The federal government and the laws of Iowa impose severe penalties for tax evasion - treating it as an extremely serious crime.

In Ankeny, 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.

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 purposeful, as opposed to an honest mistake.

However, if the relevant tax authorities are able to demonstrate that a taxpayer in Ankeny, Iowa committed purposeful fraud, in order to evade their legal duty to pay taxes, a tax court is probably going to impose a more severe penalty, which may include jail time, and large financial penalties.

A Ankeny, Iowa Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Ankeny, Iowa 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.

However, if you're actually accused of tax evasion, you will need an Ankeny, Iowa 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.