Tax Evasion Lawyers in Calcasieu Parish

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

Usually, the strategy employed by tax evaders in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana is to try and make it look like they have less taxable income than they actually do. This can be done by failing to report income, concealing it, or fraudulently transferring property.

You may also be familiar with the term "tax avoidance." It is essential that you don't confuse this with "tax evasion." Tax avoidance is perfectly legal, and is probably something that every taxpayer does whenever they file, whether they know it or not. It involves employing legal methods to make one's tax liability as small as possible, taking advantages of deductions and other tax breaks.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana

Under the laws of Louisiana, as well as federal law, tax evasion is a very serious criminal offense.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Calcasieu Parish 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.

However, the punishments for tax evasion, especially first offenses involving relatively small amounts of money, is not normally 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 show that a defendant in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana 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 Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana 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 really been accused of tax evasion, you should retain a Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana tax lawyer immediately. If you are innocent, a tax attorney will make sure you have the best chance possible at being acquitted.