Tax Evasion Lawyers in Alpine

In Utah, "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 Alpine, Utah. 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.

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 Alpine, Utah

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

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Alpine 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 usually 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 prove that a defendant in Alpine, Utah 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 Alpine, Utah Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A tax attorney in Alpine, Utah 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 exactly what one's tax liability is, and a tax attorney can help.

If you find yourself actually accused of tax evasion, and are innocent, you should hire an Alpine, Utah 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.