Tax Evasion Lawyers in Berwick

In Pennsylvania, "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 Berwick, Pennsylvania 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 may also be familiar with the term "tax avoidance." It is critical that you don't confuse this with "tax evasion." Tax avoidance is perfectly legal, and is probably something that every taxpayer does whenever they file, whether they know it or not. It involves employing legal methods to make one's tax liability as small as possible, taking advantages of deductions and other tax breaks.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Berwick, Pennsylvania

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

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Berwick 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.

However, if it can be clearly proven that a person or corporation in Berwick, Pennsylvania knowingly attempted to hide income or assets for the purpose of getting out of taxes, a court will probably throw the book at them, so to speak. This can mean jail sentences measured in years, and fines in the six or seven figures.

A Berwick, Pennsylvania Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Tax lawyers in Berwick, Pennsylvania can help anyone from an individual to a big business pay their taxes more easily, and comply with federal and local tax laws.

In the unfortunate event that you're really charged with tax evasion, it's critical that you hire a reliable tax attorney in Berwick, Pennsylvania. 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.