Tax Evasion Lawyers in Maplewood

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

Most often, people who try to evade their taxes in Maplewood, New Jersey will take steps to conceal 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 illegal 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 Maplewood, New Jersey

The federal government and the laws of New Jersey impose severe penalties for tax evasion - treating it as an extremely serious crime.

In Maplewood, 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.

Typically, a first offense of tax evasion, if the amount of tax evaded is relatively small, will not result in jail time or massive fines. This is especially the case if the government has trouble proving that the failure to pay taxes was the result of purposeful evasion, as opposed to an honest error in accounting.

But if the government is able to definitively prove that a defendant in Maplewood, New Jersey 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 Maplewood, New Jersey Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A Maplewood, New Jersey 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 actually accused of tax evasion, and are innocent, you should hire a Maplewood, New Jersey 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.