Tax Evasion Lawyers in Mahoning County

Tax Evasion in Ohio is a criminal act in which someone purposely fails to pay their taxes.

There are a few strategies that tax evaders use in Mahoning County, Ohio. 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.

It's important not to confuse "tax avoidance" and "tax evasion." They are two different things, but some people mistakenly use them interchangeably. Tax avoidance involves using legal methods, such as tax deductions and exemptions, in a strategic manner, for the purpose of reducing one's tax liability. Tax avoidance is perfectly legal. Tax evasion involves fraud, and a deliberate attempt to avoid meeting one's legal obligations to pay taxes.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Mahoning County, Ohio

Both federal law and the law of Ohio treat tax evasion as a serious criminal offense.

The penalties for tax evasion in Mahoning County can range anywhere from small fines to huge fines, along with prison sentences of several years.

Typically, 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 deliberate evasion, as opposed to an honest error in accounting.

But, if the government can prove that a defendant in Mahoning County, Ohio purposely concealed income, in order to get out of paying taxes, a court will most likely impose the heaviest penalties allowed by law, including enormous fines, and several years in prison.

A Mahoning County, Ohio Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

An attorney in Mahoning County, Ohio 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.

However, if you're actually accused of tax evasion, you will need a Mahoning County, Ohio tax attorney more than ever. If you are, in fact, innocent, a tax attorney can give you the best possible chance of being found not guilty.