Tax Evasion Lawyers in Groves

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

There are a few strategies that tax evaders use in Groves, Texas. One of the most typical tactics is to make it appear that the taxpayer has less taxable income than they actually do. There are a wide variety of ways to harbor income for the purpose of evading one's tax liability, but all of them are illegal.

"Tax evasion" should be distinguished from "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is the prohibited 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 Groves, Texas

Both federal law and the law of Texas treat tax evasion as a significant criminal offense.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Groves 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.

However, the punishments for tax evasion, especially first offenses involving relatively small amounts of money, is not typically so severe, especially 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 establish that a defendant in Groves, 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 Groves, Texas Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

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

If you find yourself truly accused of tax evasion, and are innocent, you should hire a Groves, Texas attorney with experience practicing tax law, as soon as possible. Your tax attorney can help you defend yourself against the charges, ensuring that you have a good chance at being acquitted.