Tax Evasion Lawyers in Poughkeepsie

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

There are a few strategies that tax evaders use in Poughkeepsie, 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 Poughkeepsie, New York

The laws of the federal government, as well as New York take tax evasion quite seriously, making it a crime.

In Poughkeepsie, the punishments for tax evasion can range from a court order to pay back taxes, plus a small fine, and range all the way up to fines in the tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars, and imprisonment.

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 is able to definitively establish that a defendant in Poughkeepsie, 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 Poughkeepsie, New York Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A tax attorney in Poughkeepsie, New York can ensure that you meet your tax liabilities, which will make an audit, or charge of tax evasion, less likely. Sometimes, it's difficult to determine precisely what one's tax liability is, and a tax attorney can help.

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