Tax Evasion Lawyers in Cortland

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

Most often, people who try to evade their taxes in Cortland, New York will take steps to conceal their assets and income, or transferring their property to other legal entities in a fraudulent manner.

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 Cortland, New York

Under the laws of New York, as well as federal law, tax evasion is a very serious criminal offense.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Cortland 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.

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 especially true if the prosecution can't definitively prove that that the defendant's failure to pay taxes was deliberate, as opposed to an honest mistake.

However, if it can be clearly proven that a person or corporation in Cortland, New York willfully attempted to conceal income or assets for the purpose of getting out of taxes, a court will probably throw the book at them, so to speak. This can mean jail sentences measured in years, and fines in the six or seven figures.

A Cortland, New York Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Cortland, New York 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.

In the unfortunate event that you're actually charged with tax evasion, it's important that you hire a qualified tax attorney in Cortland, New York. If you are actually innocent, your tax attorney can help make sure that you have the best chance you can of being found not guilty.