Tax Evasion Lawyers in Hampshire

In Illinois "tax evasion" is the crime of failing to pay the taxes that they owe.

Normally, tax evasion is accompanied by an attempt to make it appear to the government of Hampshire, Illinois that one's tax liability is lower than it actually is. This can include concealing income, making fraudulent transfers of property, and other illegal activities.

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 Hampshire, Illinois

Both federal law and the law of Illinois treat tax evasion as a significant criminal offense.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Hampshire 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.

Normally, a first offense of tax evasion, if the amount of tax evaded is relatively small, will not result in jail time or massive fines. This is especially the case if the government has trouble proving that the failure to pay taxes was the result of purposeful evasion, as opposed to an honest error in accounting.

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

Attorneys in Hampshire, Illinois 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 truly accused of tax evasion, you will need a Hampshire, Illinois 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.