Tax Evasion Lawyers in Rock Hill
In South Carolina, "tax evasion" is a crime that involves a purposeful failure to pay the taxes that the taxpayer legally owes.
Usually, the strategy employed by tax evaders in Rock Hill, South Carolina is to try and make it look like they have less taxable income than they actually do. This can be done by failing to report income, concealing it, or fraudulently transferring property.
"Tax evasion" should be distinguished from "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is the unlawful act of trying to hide one's tax liability. Tax avoidance, on the other hand, is perfectly legal, and simply involves using the tax laws strategically, to reduce one's actual tax liability as much as possible.
Penalties for Tax Evasion in Rock Hill, South Carolina
Both federal law and the law of South Carolina treat tax evasion as a severe criminal offense.
Punishments for evading one's taxes in Rock Hill 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.
In the majority of tax evasion cases, however, the punishments are not so severe. This is especially likely in first offenses, when the amount of money involved is fairly small. Minor punishments for tax evasion usually mean a small fine, on top of an order to pay whatever taxes the taxpayer owes. A minor punishment is most likely when the government has trouble proving that fraud was involved, as opposed to an honest accounting error.
But, if the government can prove that a defendant in Rock Hill, South Carolina intentionally concealed income, in order to get out of paying taxes, a court will most likely impose the heaviest penalties allowed by law, including enormous fines, and several years in prison.
A Rock Hill, South Carolina Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help
An attorney in Rock Hill, South Carolina specializing in tax law can help you comply with all the tax laws that apply to you, which makes it very unlikely that you'll ever be accused of tax evasion in the first place.
However, if you're really accused of tax evasion, you will need a Rock Hill, 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.