Tax Evasion Lawyers in Oakland County

In 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 Oakland County, Michigan. One of the most common tactics is to make it appear that the taxpayer has less taxable income than they actually do. There are a wide variety of ways to conceal 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 illegal act of trying to hide one's tax liability. Tax avoidance, on the other hand, is perfectly legal, and simply involves using the tax laws strategically, to reduce one's actual tax liability as much as possible.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Oakland County, Michigan

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

Tax evaders in Oakland County can be punished by multi-year prison sentences, as well as six-figure fines. Of course, there is a wide range of punishments available, with the ones just mentioned representing the most severe options available.

Typically, 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 purposeful evasion, as opposed to an honest error in accounting.

However, if the relevant tax authorities are able to demonstrate that a taxpayer in Oakland County, Michigan committed purposeful fraud, in order to evade their legal duty to pay taxes, a tax court is probably going to impose a more severe penalty, which may include jail time, and large financial penalties.

A Oakland County, Michigan Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Oakland County, Michigan 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 actually accused of tax evasion, you will need an Oakland County, 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.