A Skilled Attorney in South Carolina Handling Cases of Tax Fraud
What is tax fraud?
Most tax fraud cases involve people lying about what they earned or about the deductions for which they are eligible. But a tax fraud charge does not necessarily mean you are guilty of committing the crime.
Important information to know about tax fraud
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) discovers tax fraud when the agency’s computers alert officials to unusual claims in tax documents. Taxpayers might claim an exorbitant amount of deductions for their income, for example. The IRS follows up on all of these instances, and could perform audits when officials have reason to believe that fraud took place.
Here is some information that you should be aware of as you file your taxes or as you work with your federal defense attorney to prepare your defense:
- Failure to file a return is a type of fraud. This is a form of income tax evasion. If you earn any income at all, you must file a return, even if your income for that year was minimal enough that you didn’t have to pay income taxes.
- Some fraud cases do not involve money. The IRS can charge you with fraud if you file taxes under the wrong social security number, or if you lie to an investigator during an audit.
- You might not even be aware of the mistake. You could become a target of fraud charges if you hire an accountant who makes mistakes or gets too creative with deductions and credits. Your responsibility is to understand your tax documents and whether or not your report is accurate.
- Penalties for tax fraud are varied. Criminal tax fraud charges generally only arise when large sums of money are at issue. Major criminal tax fraud charges could lead to significant fines or jail time and significant fines in addition to money owed to the IRS. Smaller fraud charges could lead to minor fines.
Work with your South Carolina white collar crimes attorney to understand how you can fight your fraud charges and avoid harsh penalties.
Speak to a South Carolina tax evasion lawyer for more information
Call the law firm of Jack B. Swerling Attorney at Law today at 800-701-0599 or contact the firm online to schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your tax fraud case. Mr. Swerling’s services are open to all residents of South Carolina looking to get the second chance they deserve.