Tax Evasion Lawyers in Urbandale

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

There are a few strategies that tax evaders use in Urbandale, Iowa. One of the most typical 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 harbor income for the purpose of evading one's tax liability, but all of them are illegal.

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 Urbandale, Iowa

The laws of the federal government, as well as Iowa take tax evasion quite seriously, making it a crime.

In Urbandale, 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 establish that a defendant in Urbandale, 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 Urbandale, Iowa Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A tax attorney in Urbandale, Iowa can ensure that you meet your tax liabilities, which will make an audit, or charge of tax evasion, less likely. Sometimes, it's difficult to determine precisely what one's tax liability is, and a tax attorney can help.

In the unfortunate event that you're truly charged with tax evasion, it's imperative that you hire a knowledgeable tax attorney in Urbandale, 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.