Tax Evasion Lawyers in Highland Park

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

There are a few strategies that tax evaders use in Highland Park, Michigan. One of the most frequent tactics is to make it appear that the taxpayer has less taxable income than they actually do. There are a wide number of ways to hide income for the purpose of evading one's tax liability, but all of them are illegal.

"Tax evasion" should be distinguished from "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is the unlawful 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 Highland Park, Michigan

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

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Highland Park 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.

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

An attorney in Highland Park, 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.

Of course, if you've really been accused of tax evasion, you should retain a Highland Park, Michigan tax lawyer immediately. If you are innocent, a tax attorney will make sure you have the best chance possible at being acquitted.