Tax Evasion Lawyers in Olean

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 Olean, New York. One of the most common 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 conceal 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 illegal 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 Olean, New York

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

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Olean 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.

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

An attorney in Olean, New York specializing in tax law can help you comply with all the tax laws that apply to you, which makes it very unlikely that you'll ever be accused of tax evasion in the first place.

Of course, if you've actually been accused of tax evasion, you should contact an Olean, New York tax lawyer immediately. If you are innocent, a tax attorney will make sure you have the best chance possible at being acquitted.