Tax Evasion Lawyers in Ponca City

In Oklahoma, "tax evasion" is a crime that involves a purposeful failure to pay the taxes that the taxpayer legally owes.

Usually, tax evasion is accompanied by an attempt to make it appear to the government of Ponca City, Oklahoma that one's tax liability is lower than it actually is. This can include concealing income, making fraudulent transfers of property, and other illegal activities.

You should not confuse "tax evasion" with "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is illegal, and involves deliberately failing to pay one's taxes which they lawfully owe. Tax avoidance, on the other hand, is legal, and involves using legal strategies to lower one's legal tax liability. For example, strategically using deductions and tax credits to lower the amount of money you are legally obliged to pay, is an example of tax avoidance, assuming you actually pay your tax bill, whatever it ends up being.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Ponca City, Oklahoma

Both federal law and the law of Oklahoma treat tax evasion as a severe criminal offense.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Ponca City 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.

However, the punishments for tax evasion, especially first offenses involving relatively small amounts of money, is not normally 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 show that a defendant in Ponca City, Oklahoma 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 Ponca City, Oklahoma Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A tax attorney in Ponca City, Oklahoma 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.

If you find yourself really accused of tax evasion, and are innocent, you should hire a Ponca City, Oklahoma attorney with experience practicing tax law, as soon as possible. Your tax attorney can help you defend yourself against the charges, ensuring that you have a good chance at being acquitted.