Tax Evasion Lawyers in Whatcom County

Tax evasion is a crime in Washington. 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 Whatcom County, 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 utilizing 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 commitments to pay taxes.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Whatcom County, Washington

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

In Whatcom County, the penalties for tax evasion can range from a court order to pay back taxes, plus a small fine, and range all the way up to penalties in the tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars, and imprisonment.

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

But if the government is able to definitively establish that a defendant in Whatcom County, Washington intentionally engaged in fraud to get out of paying taxes, a tax court is very unlikely to show any leniency, and may well sentence the defendant to prison time.

A Whatcom County, Washington Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

An attorney in Whatcom County, Washington 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 truly accused of tax evasion, you will need a Whatcom County, 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.