Tax Evasion Lawyers in La Marque

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

There are a few strategies that tax evaders use in La Marque, Texas. One of the most common 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 conceal 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 illegal 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 La Marque, Texas

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

Punishments for evading one's taxes in La Marque 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 typically 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.

However, if the relevant tax authorities are able to demonstrate that a taxpayer in La Marque, Texas committed purposeful fraud, in order to evade their legal duty to pay taxes, a tax court is probably going to impose a more severe penalty, which may include jail time, and large financial penalties.

A La Marque, Texas Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A La Marque, Texas attorney who specializes in tax law can help ensure that you are in compliance with all applicable tax laws, making an accusation of tax evasion less likely.

However, if you're actually accused of tax evasion, you will need a La Marque, 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.