Tax Evasion Lawyers in Brighton

Within 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 Brighton, 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 acquainted 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 Brighton, Michigan

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

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Brighton 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.

In the majority of tax evasion cases, however, the punishments are not so severe. This is particularly likely in first offenses, when the amount of money involved is fairly small. Minor punishments for tax evasion usually mean a small fine, on top of an order to pay whatever taxes the taxpayer owes. A minor punishment is most likely when the government has trouble proving that fraud was involved, as opposed to an honest accounting error.

But, if the government can prove that a defendant in Brighton, Michigan knowingly concealed income, in order to get out of paying taxes, a court will most likely impose the heaviest penalties allowed by law, including enormous fines, and several years in prison.

A Brighton, Michigan Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

An attorney in Brighton, Michigan specializing in tax law can help you adhere with all the tax laws that apply to you, which makes it very unlikely that you'll ever be accused of tax evasion in the first place.

However, if you're really accused of tax evasion, you will need a Brighton, Michigan 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.