Tax Evasion Lawyers in Colonial Heights

Tax evasion is a crime in Virginia. Tax evasion involves knowingly failing to pay one's taxes.

Normally, tax evasion is accompanied by an attempt to make it appear to the government of Colonial Heights, Virginia that one's tax liability is lower than it actually is. This can include concealing income, making fraudulent transfers of property, and other illegal activities.

"Tax evasion" should not be confused with "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is the act of knowingly attempting to get out of one's tax liability through prohibited means. Tax avoidance is perfectly legal, and involves using legal strategies (such as taking advantage of deductions and tax credits) to reduce one's legal tax liability. However, someone engaging in tax avoidance typically intends to pay whatever they end up owing, even as they try to reduce the amount they owe.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Colonial Heights, Virginia

The federal government and the laws of Virginia impose severe penalties for tax evasion - treating it as an extremely serious crime.

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

In most cases, particularly when the amount of taxes evaded is small, and it's a first offense, the punishment will typically be fairly mild. It will typically 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 deliberate.

However, if the relevant tax authorities are able to demonstrate that a taxpayer in Colonial Heights, Virginia committed deliberate fraud, in order to evade their legal duty to pay taxes, a tax court is probably going to impose a more severe penalty, which may include jail time, and large financial penalties.

A Colonial Heights, Virginia Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

A tax attorney in Colonial Heights, Virginia 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 precisely what one's tax liability is, and a tax attorney can help.

Of course, if you've truly been accused of tax evasion, you should hire a Colonial Heights, Virginia tax lawyer immediately. If you are innocent, a tax attorney will make sure you have the best chance possible at being acquitted.