Tax Evasion Lawyers in Elmira

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

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

You may also be acquainted with the term "tax avoidance." It is essential 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 Elmira, New York

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

In Elmira, tax evasion can result in anything from a comparatively 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.

In the majority of tax evasion cases, however, the punishments are not so severe. This is particularly 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 Elmira, New York committed intentional 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 Elmira, New York Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

An Elmira, New York attorney who concentrates in tax law can help ensure that you are in conformity with all applicable tax laws, making an accusation of tax evasion less likely.

However, if you're really accused of tax evasion, you will need an Elmira, 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.