Tax Evasion Lawyers in Swissvale

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

One of the most common frequent tactics of tax evaders in Swissvale, Pennsylvania is to attempt to make it appear to an outside observer that their tax liability is lower than it really is, such as by concealing income, fraudulently transferring property, and others.

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 Swissvale, Pennsylvania

Under federal and state law, including the laws of Pennsylvania, tax evasion is a very severe crime.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Swissvale 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.

Usually, 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.

But if the government is able to definitively show that a defendant in Swissvale, Pennsylvania 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 Swissvale, Pennsylvania Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Swissvale, Pennsylvania who practice tax law can help you stay in compliance with your tax obligations. This is a good way to ensure that you won't be suspected of tax evasion in the first place.

However, if you're really accused of tax evasion, you will need a Swissvale, 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.