When someone commits a nonviolent crime, like tax evasion, they often believe they will get away with it. As with any crime, if you are accused of a white collar crime, there will be consequences for your actions. Before you are convicted, and a sentence can be handed down, an investigation will be done. At this point, to prove your guilt, authorities will look at a number of things, including what actions you took to avoid paying taxes.
Tax evasion is illegal. When someone commits tax evasion, they may try a number of things to avoid paying taxes. In many situations, people will use false information on their tax forms or transfer property to someone else. The reason these two actions are considered tax evasion is because by doing one or both, the party will not have to pay taxes that they technically should pay.
Everyone is required to file taxes, and both individuals and businesses are capable of committing tax evasion. Should a person or business be caught, authorities will try to punish them for their actions. However, the punishment that will be received is dependent upon a number of factors, so there is no telling what can happen.
Being accused of tax evasion is a frightening prospect. You may not understand why you are being prosecuted. Whether you made a mistake or were trying to evade paying taxes, you have a fight ahead of you. If you have been accused of tax evasion, it may be wise to seek assistance from an attorney.