Tax Evasion Lawyers in The Woodlands
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 The Woodlands, 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 variety of ways to hide income for the purpose of evading one's tax liability, but all of them are illegal.
You should not confuse "tax evasion" with "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is illegal, and involves deliberately failing to pay one's taxes which they lawfully owe. Tax avoidance, on the other hand, is legal, and involves using legal strategies to lower one's legal tax liability. For example, strategically using deductions and tax credits to lower the amount of money you are legally obliged to pay, is an example of tax avoidance, assuming you actually pay your tax bill, whatever it ends up being.
Penalties for Tax Evasion in The Woodlands, Texas
Under the laws of Texas, as well as federal law, tax evasion is a very serious criminal offense.
Punishments for evading one's taxes in The Woodlands 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 deliberate, as opposed to an honest mistake.
But if the government is able to definitively show that a defendant in The Woodlands, 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 The Woodlands, Texas Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help
A tax attorney in The Woodlands, 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 clearly what one's tax liability is, and a tax attorney can help.
In the unfortunate event that you're really charged with tax evasion, it's important that you hire a reliable tax attorney in The Woodlands, Texas. If you are actually innocent, your tax attorney can help make sure that you have the best chance you can of being found not guilty.