Tax Evasion Lawyers in Fruit Heights

In Utah, "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 Fruit Heights, Utah. 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.

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 Fruit Heights, Utah

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

Tax evaders in Fruit Heights can be punished by multi-year prison sentences, as well as six-figure fines. Of course, there is a wide range of penalties available, with the ones just mentioned representing the most severe options available.

In most cases, especially when the amount of taxes evaded is small, and it's a first offense, the punishment will normally be fairly mild. It will normally result in an order to pay the taxes the defendant owes, plus a small financial penalty. This is especially likely when it cannot be proven that the failure to pay taxes was willful.

But, if the government can prove that a defendant in Fruit Heights, Utah willfully concealed income, in order to get out of paying taxes, a court will most likely impose the heaviest penalties allowed by law, including enormous fines, and several years in prison.

A Fruit Heights, Utah Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

An attorney in Fruit Heights, Utah 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 Fruit Heights, Utah 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.