Tax Evasion Lawyers in Brownwood

In Texas, "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 Brownwood, 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 acquainted with the term "tax avoidance." It is necessary 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 Brownwood, Texas

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

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Brownwood range from paying back taxes plus interest (a relatively mild punishment) all the way up to years in prison, and penalties in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

However, the punishments for tax evasion, particularly first offenses involving relatively small amounts of money, is not normally so severe, particularly when it looks like the failure to pay taxes was the result of an honest mistake, rather than deliberate fraud.

But if the government is able to definitively show that a defendant in Brownwood, Texas intentionally engaged in fraud to get out of paying taxes, a tax court is very unlikely to show any leniency, and may well sentence the defendant to prison time.

A Brownwood, Texas Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A tax attorney in Brownwood, Texas can ensure that you meet your tax liabilities, which will make an audit, or charge of tax evasion, less likely. Sometimes, it's challenging to determine clearly what one's tax liability is, and a tax attorney can help.

Of course, if you've really been accused of tax evasion, you should retain a Brownwood, Texas tax lawyer immediately. If you are innocent, a tax attorney will make sure you have the best chance possible at being acquitted.