South Carolina Criminal Law Defense Attorney
Tax investigations can be extremely stressful. If the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) believes that you have committed some kind of income tax fraud, it will use its network of government resources to scrutinize your life and prosecute you for tax fraud or tax evasion.
Suspicions of income tax fraud and tax evasion are taken very seriously. If the IRS uncovers what it believes to be fraud or tax evasion, the response is typically swift and severe: Assets are seized, bank accounts frozen and businesses shut down. At the Law Offices of Richard J. Breibart, LLC, our Lexington income tax evasion attorneys are skilled in helping those under investigation for tax fraud. When clients come to us early on in an investigation, we can often help them avoid jail and heavy fines. In other instances, our lawyers may be able to redirect the focus of an investigation or prevent IRS agents from acting prematurely and without cause. To learn more, call 866-645-8743 or contact our office online.
Tax Evasion Charges in South Carolina
Charges of tax evasion arise in both legal and illegal activities. Money made from an illegal activity such as drug trafficking, embezzlement, money laundering or illegal gambling cannot be declared on taxes — which means that in some instances, if criminal charges cannot be brought for the underlying activities, then tax evasion charges are brought instead.
Tax evasion charges can also be brought against legitimate businesses and individuals, often involving allegations of:
- Failing to file tax returns
- Misreporting business income
- Underestimating income
- Using false receipts
- Using someone else's Social Security number or other tax identification number
- Claiming ineligible deductions or false depreciation
- Failing to report income in offshore accounts
- Sales tax or payroll tax fraud
Resolving Charges of Tax Fraud and Tax Evasion
The IRS' goal is to make sure that those who owe takes pay them. For this reason, the IRS is more inclined to work with someone who steps forward of his or her own free will and admits to owing back taxes or misreporting income. While a fine may be levied, in general, IRS attorneys defer prosecution in such cases, requesting probation instead of prison.
If, however, back taxes or fraud is discovered through an IRS audit, prosecutors typically seek heavy fines and a prison sentence for the convicted. Our tax fraud lawyers can help businesses and clients step forward and negotiate a solution with the IRS before criminal charges are filed.
You cannot be found guilty of tax fraud simply because you owe taxes. It has to be proved that you knowingly acted with criminal intent to defraud the government. Misreporting income or claiming deductions you should not have may be an honest mistake. A misunderstanding of the tax code might result in a pattern of income tax reporting by a business that looks like fraud, but actually is not. At the Law Offices of Richard J. Breibart, LLC, our attorneys present evidence and eyewitness testimony when necessary to challenge and undermine the claims of the IRS. For a free consultation to discuss the charges against you, contact our office online or call 866-645-8743.We serve the entire state, from Greenville to Orangeburg and beyond.
