Tax Evasion Lawyers in Burlington
Tax Evasion in North Carolina is a criminal act in which someone willfully fails to pay their taxes.
Usually, tax evasion is accompanied by an attempt to make it appear to the government of Burlington, North Carolina 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.
You may also be acquainted with the term "tax avoidance." It is necessary 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 Burlington, North Carolina
The laws of the federal government, as well as North Carolina take tax evasion extremely seriously, making it a crime.
In Burlington, tax evasion can result in anything from a comparatively small fine, and a court order to pay any back taxes as well as interest, all the way up to financial penalties in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, as well as jail time.
Most often, tax evasion - if it's a first offense and the tax liability is small - will not be cause for huge fines or imprisonment. This is particularly true if the prosecution can't definitively prove that that the defendant's failure to pay taxes was willful, as opposed to an honest mistake.
But if the government is able to definitively show that a defendant in Burlington, North Carolina 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 Burlington, North Carolina Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help
An attorney in Burlington, North Carolina 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 Burlington, North Carolina 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.