Tax Evasion Lawyers in Colville

Tax evasion is a crime in Washington. Tax evasion involves deliberately failing to pay one's taxes.

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

It's important not to confuse "tax avoidance" and "tax evasion." They are two different things, but some people mistakenly use them interchangeably. Tax avoidance involves using legal methods, such as tax deductions and exemptions, in a strategic manner, for the purpose of reducing one's tax liability. Tax avoidance is perfectly legal. Tax evasion involves fraud, and a deliberate attempt to avoid meeting one's legal obligations to pay taxes.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Colville, Washington

Both federal law and the law of Washington treat tax evasion as a significant criminal offense.

The penalties for tax evasion in Colville can range anywhere from small fines to huge fines, along with prison sentences of several years.

Normally, a first offense of tax evasion, if the amount of tax evaded is relatively small, will not result in jail time or massive fines. This is especially the case if the government has trouble proving that the failure to pay taxes was the result of deliberate evasion, as opposed to an honest error in accounting.

But, if the government can prove that a defendant in Colville, Washington deliberately 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 Colville, Washington Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Colville, Washington who practice tax law can help you stay in compliance with your tax obligations. This is a good way to ensure 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 Colville, Washington 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.