Tax Evasion Lawyers in Cabell County

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

One of the most common prevalent tactics of tax evaders in Cabell County, West Virginia 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 using 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 Cabell County, West Virginia

Under the laws of West Virginia, as well as federal law, tax evasion is a very serious criminal offense.

Tax evaders in Cabell County can be punished by multi-year prison sentences, as well as six-figure fines. Of course, there is a wide range of punishments available, with the ones just mentioned representing the most severe options available.

In most cases, particularly when the amount of taxes evaded is small, and it's a first offense, the punishment will typically be fairly mild. It will typically result in an order to pay the taxes the defendant owes, plus a small financial penalty. This is especially likely when it cannot be proven that the failure to pay taxes was deliberate.

However, if the relevant tax authorities are able to demonstrate that a taxpayer in Cabell County, West Virginia committed deliberate 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 Cabell County, West Virginia Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help

Tax lawyers in Cabell County, West Virginia can help anyone from an individual to a big business pay their taxes more easily, and comply with federal and local tax laws.

However, if you're truly accused of tax evasion, you will need a Cabell County, West Virginia 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.