Tax Evasion Lawyers in Whitefish Bay

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

One of the most common prevalent tactics of tax evaders in Whitefish Bay, 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.

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 Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin

Under the laws of Wisconsin, as well as federal law, tax evasion is a very significant criminal offense.

Punishments for evading one's taxes in Whitefish Bay range from paying back taxes plus interest (a relatively mild punishment) all the way up to years in prison, and penalties in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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 Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin 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 Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Attorneys in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin 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 Whitefish Bay, 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.