Tax Evasion Lawyers in West Columbia

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 West Columbia, 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 number of ways to conceal 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 utilizing 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 West Columbia, Texas

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

In West Columbia, tax evasion can result in anything from a comparatively small fine, and a court order to pay any back taxes as well as interest, all the way up to financial penalties in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, as well as jail time.

However, the punishments for tax evasion, particularly first offenses involving relatively small amounts of money, is not usually 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 prove that a defendant in West Columbia, 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 West Columbia, Texas Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in West Columbia, Texas who practice tax law can help you stay in conformity with your tax commitments. This is a good way to confirm that you won't be suspected of tax evasion in the first place.

However, if you're actually accused of tax evasion, you will need a West Columbia, 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.