Tax Evasion Lawyers in Jefferson Parish

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

Normally, the strategy employed by tax evaders in Jefferson 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 critical 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 Jefferson Parish, Louisiana

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

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Jefferson 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.

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 deliberate evasion, as opposed to an honest error in accounting.

But if the government is able to definitively establish that a defendant in Jefferson 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 Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Jefferson 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.

However, if you're truly accused of tax evasion, you will need a Jefferson Parish, Louisiana 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.