Tax Evasion Lawyers in Bridgeport

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

Typically, the strategy employed by tax evaders in Bridgeport, Texas 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.

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 Bridgeport, Texas

Under the laws of Texas, as well as federal law, tax evasion is a very severe criminal offense.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Bridgeport 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 Bridgeport, Texas 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 Bridgeport, Texas Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Bridgeport, Texas 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 a Bridgeport, Texas 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.