Tax Evasion Lawyers in Middlebury

Tax evasion is a crime in Vermont. Tax evasion involves purposely failing to pay one's taxes.

Normally, tax evasion is accompanied by an attempt to make it appear to the government of Middlebury, Vermont 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.

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 Middlebury, Vermont

Under federal and state law, including the laws of Vermont, tax evasion is a very significant crime.

In Middlebury, 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.

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 particularly true if the prosecution can't definitively prove that that the defendant's failure to pay taxes was willful, as opposed to an honest mistake.

However, if the relevant tax authorities are able to demonstrate that a taxpayer in Middlebury, Vermont committed willful 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 Middlebury, Vermont Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Middlebury, Vermont 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 truly accused of tax evasion, you will need a Middlebury, Vermont 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.