Tax Evasion Lawyers in Sunset Hills

Tax Evasion in Missouri is a criminal act in which someone intentionally fails to pay their taxes.

Typically, tax evasion is accompanied by an attempt to make it appear to the government of Sunset Hills, Missouri that one's tax liability is lower than it actually is. This can include concealing income, making fraudulent transfers of property, and other illegal activities.

"Tax evasion" should not be confused with "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is the act of intentionally attempting to get out of one's tax liability through illegal means. Tax avoidance is perfectly legal, and involves using legal strategies (such as taking advantage of deductions and tax credits) to reduce one's legal tax liability. However, someone engaging in tax avoidance typically intends to pay whatever they end up owing, even as they try to reduce the amount they owe.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Sunset Hills, Missouri

Under federal and state law, including the laws of Missouri, tax evasion is a very severe crime.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Sunset Hills 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.

However, the punishments for tax evasion, especially first offenses involving relatively small amounts of money, is not usually 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 prove that a defendant in Sunset Hills, Missouri 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 Sunset Hills, Missouri Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Sunset Hills, Missouri 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 a Sunset Hills, Missouri 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.