Tax Evasion Lawyers in Longview
In Texas, "tax evasion" is a crime that involves a purposeful failure to pay the taxes that the taxpayer legally owes.
There are a few strategies that tax evaders use in Longview, Texas. One of the most frequent tactics is to make it appear that the taxpayer has less taxable income than they actually do. There are a wide number of ways to hide 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 unlawful act of trying to hide one's tax liability. Tax avoidance, on the other hand, is perfectly legal, and simply involves utilizing the tax laws strategically, to reduce one's actual tax liability as much as possible.
Penalties for Tax Evasion in Longview, Texas
The laws of the federal government, as well as Texas take tax evasion extremely seriously, making it a crime.
In Longview, the penalties for tax evasion can range from a court order to pay back taxes, plus a small fine, and range all the way up to penalties in the tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars, and imprisonment.
In the majority of tax evasion cases, however, the punishments are not so severe. This is particularly 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.
On the other hand, if the prosecution can show that a Longview, Texas taxpayer engaged in fraud, and knowingly failed to pay their taxes, a tax court will probably impose the most grave punishment that's authorized by law. This can easily involve jail time.
A Longview, Texas Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help
An attorney in Longview, Texas specializing in tax law can help you adhere 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 Longview, 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.