Tax Evasion Lawyers in Northport

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

There are a few strategies that tax evaders use in Northport, 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 number 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 utilizing the tax laws strategically, to reduce one's actual tax liability as much as possible.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Northport, New York

The federal government and the laws of New York impose grave penalties for tax evasion - treating it as an extremely serious crime.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Northport range from paying back taxes plus interest (a relatively mild punishment) all the way up to years in prison, and penalties in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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 willful evasion, as opposed to an honest error in accounting.

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

Attorneys in Northport, New York 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 Northport, New York tax lawyer immediately. If you are innocent, a tax attorney will make sure you have the best chance possible at being acquitted.