Tax Evasion Lawyers in Dutchess County

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

Most frequently, people who try to evade their taxes in Dutchess County, New York will take steps to harbor 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 Dutchess County, New York

Both federal law and the law of New York treat tax evasion as a significant criminal offense.

In Dutchess County, tax evasion can result in anything from a relatively small fine, and a court order to pay any back taxes as well as interest, all the way up to financial penalties in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, as well as jail time.

However, the punishments for tax evasion, especially first offenses involving relatively small amounts of money, is not typically so severe, especially when it looks like the failure to pay taxes was the result of an honest mistake, rather than deliberate fraud.

But, if the government can prove that a defendant in Dutchess County, New York willfully concealed income, in order to get out of paying taxes, a court will most likely impose the heaviest penalties allowed by law, including enormous fines, and several years in prison.

A Dutchess County, New York Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Dutchess County, 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.

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