Tax Evasion Lawyers in Berkley

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

Most commonly, people who try to evade their taxes in Berkley, Michigan will take steps to hide their assets and income, or transferring their property to other legal entities in a fraudulent manner.

You may also be familiar with the term "tax avoidance." It is important 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 Berkley, Michigan

Both federal law and the law of Michigan treat tax evasion as a severe criminal offense.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Berkley 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.

Usually, 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 show that a defendant in Berkley, Michigan 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 Berkley, Michigan Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A Berkley, Michigan attorney who specializes in tax law can help ensure that you are in compliance with all applicable tax laws, making an accusation of tax evasion less likely.

In the unfortunate event that you're really charged with tax evasion, it's imperative that you hire a reliable tax attorney in Berkley, Michigan. If you are actually innocent, your tax attorney can help make sure that you have the best chance you can of being found not guilty.