Tax Evasion Lawyers in Evansville
In Indiana "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 Evansville, Indiana 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.
It's important not to confuse "tax avoidance" and "tax evasion." They are two different things, but some people mistakenly use them interchangeably. Tax avoidance involves using legal methods, such as tax deductions and exemptions, in a strategic manner, for the purpose of reducing one's tax liability. Tax avoidance is perfectly legal. Tax evasion involves fraud, and a deliberate attempt to avoid meeting one's legal obligations to pay taxes.
Penalties for Tax Evasion in Evansville, Indiana
Under federal and state law, including the laws of Indiana, tax evasion is a very severe crime.
In Evansville, the punishments for tax evasion can range from a court order to pay back taxes, plus a small fine, and range all the way up to fines in the tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars, and imprisonment.
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 Evansville, Indiana 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 Evansville, Indiana Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help
Attorneys in Evansville, Indiana 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.
Of course, if you've truly been accused of tax evasion, you should hire an Evansville, Indiana tax lawyer immediately. If you are innocent, a tax attorney will make sure you have the best chance possible at being acquitted.