Tax Evasion Lawyers in Charleston
Tax evasion is a crime in West Virginia. Tax evasion involves deliberately failing to pay one's taxes.
One of the most common frequent tactics of tax evaders in Charleston, West Virginia is to attempt to make it appear to an outside observer that their tax liability is lower than it really 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 Charleston, West Virginia
The laws of the federal government, as well as West Virginia take tax evasion extremely seriously, making it a crime.
In Charleston, tax evasion can result in anything from a relatively small fine, and a court order to pay any back taxes as well as interest, all the way up to financial penalties in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, as well as jail time.
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 especially true if the prosecution can't definitively prove that that the defendant's failure to pay taxes was purposeful, as opposed to an honest mistake.
But if the government is able to definitively show that a defendant in Charleston, West Virginia 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 Charleston, West Virginia Tax Evasion Lawyer Can Help
An attorney in Charleston, West Virginia specializing in tax law can help you comply 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 really accused of tax evasion, you will need a Charleston, 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.