Tax Evasion Lawyers in Portage

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

One of the most common prevalent tactics of tax evaders in Portage, Wisconsin is to attempt to make it appear to an outside observer that their tax liability is lower than it truly is, such as by concealing income, fraudulently transferring property, and others.

"Tax evasion" should be distinguished from "tax avoidance." Tax evasion is the prohibited act of trying to hide one's tax liability. Tax avoidance, on the other hand, is perfectly legal, and simply involves using the tax laws strategically, to reduce one's actual tax liability as much as possible.

Penalties for Tax Evasion in Portage, Wisconsin

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

The penalties for tax evasion in Portage 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 is able to definitively establish that a defendant in Portage, Wisconsin intentionally engaged in fraud to get out of paying taxes, a tax court is highly unlikely to show any leniency, and may well sentence the defendant to prison time.

A Portage, Wisconsin Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Portage, Wisconsin 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 Portage, Wisconsin 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.