Tax Evasion Lawyers in Durham County

Tax Evasion in North Carolina is a criminal act in which someone willfully fails to pay their taxes.

Normally, tax evasion is accompanied by an attempt to make it appear to the government of Durham County, 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 familiar 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 Durham County, North Carolina

The laws of the federal government, as well as North Carolina take tax evasion quite seriously, making it a crime.

In Durham County, 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.

In the majority of tax evasion cases, however, the punishments are not so severe. This is especially likely in first offenses, when the amount of money involved is fairly small. Minor punishments for tax evasion normally mean a small fine, on top of an order to pay whatever taxes the taxpayer owes. A minor punishment is most likely when the government has trouble proving that fraud was involved, as opposed to an honest accounting error.

However, if the relevant tax authorities are able to demonstrate that a taxpayer in Durham County, North Carolina committed deliberate 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 Durham County, North Carolina Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A Durham County, North Carolina 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.

However, if you're truly accused of tax evasion, you will need a Durham County, 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.