Tax Evasion Lawyers in Oak Park Heights

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

There are a few strategies that tax evaders use in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota. One of the most typical 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 harbor income for the purpose of evading one's tax liability, but all of them are illegal.

It's important not to confuse "tax avoidance" and "tax evasion." They are two different things, but some people mistakenly use them interchangeably. Tax avoidance involves using legal methods, such as tax deductions and exemptions, in a strategic manner, for the purpose of reducing one's tax liability. Tax avoidance is perfectly legal. Tax evasion involves fraud, and a deliberate attempt to avoid meeting one's legal obligations to pay taxes.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota

Under the laws of Minnesota, as well as federal law, tax evasion is a very severe criminal offense.

In Oak Park Heights, the punishments for tax evasion can range from a court order to pay back taxes, plus a small fine, and range all the way up to fines in the tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars, and imprisonment.

However, the punishments for tax evasion, especially first offenses involving relatively small amounts of money, is not typically so severe, especially when it looks like the failure to pay taxes was the result of an honest mistake, rather than deliberate fraud.

But if the government is able to definitively establish that a defendant in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota 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 Oak Park Heights, Minnesota Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

An Oak Park Heights, Minnesota 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.

If you find yourself truly accused of tax evasion, and are innocent, you should hire an Oak Park Heights, Minnesota attorney with experience practicing tax law, as soon as possible. Your tax attorney can help you defend yourself against the charges, ensuring that you have a good chance at being acquitted.