Columbia Tax Fraud Lawyer

Tax fraud is a serious state and federal offense. Although many people lawfully attempt to reduce their tax burden by legal deductions, some use deceptive and illegal methods to avoid paying taxes. Because of this, tax fraud and tax evasion have substantial penalties at the state and federal levels.

Not everyone accused of tax fraud has committed fraud or intended to defraud the government. If you are facing these charges, you should contact a Columbia tax fraud lawyer at the Law Office of Bill Nettles immediately. You have a limited period to respond to these allegations, and you need an experienced white-collar defense attorney on your side.

What Is Tax Fraud?

Tax fraud is included under South Carolina Code § 12-54-10. Both individuals and businesses can be charged with tax fraud. Fraud may occur during filing or collecting taxes and can include:

• Failing to disclose income or exempt payments
• Failing to withhold or pay taxes or agreeing to do so
• Failing to disclose or intentionally undervaluing taxable assets
• Filing falsified tax returns or assisting in preparing false returns

If a business intentionally pays employees in unrecorded cash payments to avoid paying income taxes, both parties can be charged with conspiracy to commit tax fraud, as well as individual fraud. If you are facing tax fraud charges as a business or individual, a Columbia attorney could help.

Defenses Against Tax Fraud Charges

To prove tax fraud, state tax investigators and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) must perform an audit of your finances. They will need to prove that you intended to defraud the government and show that you deliberately and wilfully withheld taxes. A Columbia tax fraud attorney from our office could pursue one of the following strategies in your defense:

• Lack of evidence: Without adequate supporting evidence, state investigators cannot continue their investigations
• Accounting errors: Especially if another individual or company prepared your taxes, complexity may have led to unintentional errors in payment
• Honest mistakes: If you filed your own taxes, you may have misreported or underpaid because you believed you properly deducted an asset when you did not
• Lack of intent: In general, intent to defraud requires a pattern of behavior—missing one deadline or making accounting mistakes is not proof of intent to defraud

If you receive notification of a potential investigation, you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible. Your time for responding to these charges is limited, and the sooner an attorney can begin an investigation, the better your chances of a dismissal or reduction of the charges.

Get Advice on Tax Fraud Charges from a Columbia Lawyer

The attorneys at The Law Office of Bill Nettles have dealt with government allegations of tax fraud and evasion for many years. We investigate the charges against our clients zealously and with the best possible outcome in mind. Our legal team reviews the facts of each case and develops a defense to counter the government’s case.

White-collar crimes can affect your personal and professional life. A Columbia tax fraud lawyer from our team could minimize the effect of charges on your life and seek the best outcome for you. Call us for a review of your case and our legal opinion today.