Tax Evasion Lawyers in Mahopac

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

There are a few strategies that tax evaders use in Mahopac, New York. One of the most typical tactics is to make it appear that the taxpayer has less taxable income than they actually do. There are a wide variety of ways to harbor income for the purpose of evading one's tax liability, but all of them are illegal.

"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 using the tax laws strategically, to reduce one's actual tax liability as much as possible.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Mahopac, New York

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

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Mahopac 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.

Normally, 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 establish that a defendant in Mahopac, New York 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 Mahopac, New York Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A Mahopac, New York 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.

In the unfortunate event that you're truly charged with tax evasion, it's imperative that you hire a knowledgeable tax attorney in Mahopac, 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.