Tax Evasion Lawyers in Abbeville

In South Carolina, "tax evasion" is a crime that involves a deliberate failure to pay the taxes that the taxpayer legally owes.

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

You may also be familiar with the term "tax avoidance." It is crucial 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 Abbeville, South Carolina

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

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Abbeville 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.

Most often, tax evasion - if it's a first offense and the tax liability is small - will not be cause for huge fines or imprisonment. This is especially true if the prosecution can't definitively prove that that the defendant's failure to pay taxes was purposeful, as opposed to an honest mistake.

But if the government is able to definitively prove that a defendant in Abbeville, South Carolina 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 Abbeville, South Carolina Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Abbeville, South Carolina 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 actually accused of tax evasion, you will need an Abbeville, South Carolina 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.