Tax Evasion Lawyers in Atlantic

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

There are a few strategies that tax evaders use in Atlantic, Iowa. One of the most frequent 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 hide 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 knowingly attempting to get out of one's tax liability through unlawful 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 Atlantic, Iowa

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

In Atlantic, 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 deliberate, as opposed to an honest mistake.

But if the government is able to definitively show that a defendant in Atlantic, Iowa 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 Atlantic, Iowa Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Atlantic, 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.

In the unfortunate event that you're really charged with tax evasion, it's critical that you hire a reliable tax attorney in Atlantic, Iowa. 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.