Tax Evasion Lawyers in Sayville

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 Sayville, New York. One of the most frequent 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 hide 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 unlawful 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 Sayville, New York

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

Tax evaders in Sayville can be punished by multi-year prison sentences, as well as six-figure fines. Of course, there is a wide range of punishments available, with the ones just mentioned representing the most severe options available.

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 purposeful, as opposed to an honest mistake.

However, if the relevant tax authorities are able to demonstrate that a taxpayer in Sayville, New York committed purposeful 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 Sayville, New York Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A tax attorney in Sayville, 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 clearly what one's tax liability is, and a tax attorney can help.

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