Tax Evasion Lawyers in Mattapoisett

Within Massachusetts "tax evasion" is the crime of failing to pay the taxes that they owe.

Most frequently, people who try to evade their taxes in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts will take steps to harbor their assets and income, or transferring their property to other legal entities in a fraudulent manner.

"Tax evasion" should be distinguished from "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is the prohibited act of trying to hide one's tax liability. Tax avoidance, on the other hand, is perfectly legal, and simply involves utilizing the tax laws strategically, to reduce one's actual tax liability as much as possible.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts

The federal government and the laws of Massachusetts impose grave penalties for tax evasion - treating it as an extremely serious crime.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Mattapoisett range from paying back taxes plus interest (a relatively mild punishment) all the way up to years in prison, and penalties in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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

But if the government is able to definitively establish that a defendant in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts intentionally engaged in fraud to get out of paying taxes, a tax court is very unlikely to show any leniency, and may well sentence the defendant to prison time.

A Mattapoisett, Massachusetts Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts who practice tax law can help you stay in conformity with your tax commitments. This is a good way to confirm 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 Mattapoisett, Massachusetts 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.