Tax Evasion Lawyers in Rutherford

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

Most frequently, people who try to evade their taxes in Rutherford, New Jersey will take steps to harbor 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 prohibited act of trying to hide one's tax liability. Tax avoidance, on the other hand, is perfectly legal, and simply involves utilizing the tax laws strategically, to reduce one's actual tax liability as much as possible.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Rutherford, New Jersey

Under federal and state law, including the laws of New Jersey, tax evasion is a very egregious crime.

In Rutherford, the penalties for tax evasion can range from a court order to pay back taxes, plus a small fine, and range all the way up to penalties in the tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars, and imprisonment.

Normally, an initial offense of tax evasion, if the amount of tax evaded is comparatively small, will not result in jail time or massive fines. This is particularly the case if the government has trouble proving that the failure to pay taxes was the result of intentional evasion, as opposed to an honest error in accounting.

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

Attorneys in Rutherford, New Jersey who practice tax law can help you stay in conformity with your tax commitments. This is a good way to confirm that you won't be suspected of tax evasion in the first place.

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