Tax Evasion Lawyers in Hasbrouck Heights

Tax Evasion in New Jersey is a criminal act in which someone knowingly fails to pay their taxes.

Most commonly, people who try to evade their taxes in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey will take steps to hide their assets and income, or transferring their property to other legal entities in a fraudulent manner.

"Tax evasion" should be distinguished from "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is the unlawful 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 Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey

Both federal law and the law of New Jersey treat tax evasion as a severe criminal offense.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Hasbrouck Heights 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.

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 usually 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 Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey 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 Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey 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.

Of course, if you've really been accused of tax evasion, you should retain a Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey tax lawyer immediately. If you are innocent, a tax attorney will make sure you have the best chance possible at being acquitted.