Tax Evasion Lawyers in Coatesville

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

Normally, tax evasion is accompanied by an attempt to make it appear to the government of Coatesville, 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 Coatesville, Pennsylvania

The federal government and the laws of Pennsylvania impose severe penalties for tax evasion - treating it as an extremely serious crime.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Coatesville 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.

Normally, 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 purposeful evasion, as opposed to an honest error in accounting.

However, if the relevant tax authorities are able to demonstrate that a taxpayer in Coatesville, Pennsylvania 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 Coatesville, Pennsylvania Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A Coatesville, Pennsylvania attorney who specializes in tax law can help ensure that you are in compliance with all applicable tax laws, making an accusation of tax evasion less likely.

However, if you're truly accused of tax evasion, you will need a Coatesville, Pennsylvania 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.