How to Defend Against Tax Evasion Charges

The overwhelming debt that some taxpayers accrue through years of unfiled taxes can be difficult to resolve. Charges that are brought against your family and your business may involve a simple clerical error and misunderstanding. You need to take care of your records and build a strong case to defend against tax evasion charges.

Things You'll Need

• Attorney
• Tax records

Instructions

1. Exonerate yourself from tax evasion charges by demonstrating zero annual income from illegal activities. A common technique for tax evaders is a failure to report income from gambling and drug dealing to avoid prosecution for illicit behavior. You should use your criminal history to help demonstrate your financial purity.

2. Catalog every receipt and document demonstrating your payment of the annual taxes in question. You should maintain a chronological file of state and federal revenue forms that indicate a clean tax record.

3. Supply IRS and state tax forms to paint a picture of your tax status to your attorney. These documents should start with the present and travel back to the year prior to the time in question. You should bring tax returns, letters and other documents to generate a paper trail.

4. Interview attorneys with tax law experience to find the right counsel for your tax evasion case. An attorney with experience in state revenue services can be particularly helpful in finding loopholes in state law.

5. Cite miscommunication and other administrative failures on behalf of the IRS or state revenue service as you defend against tax evasion charges. You need to have proof of clerical errors in IRS documents and demonstrate your best effort to resolve these errors in an expedient manner.

6. Clear up your tax situation by providing corporate profit, share and inventory reports to court. You can defend against tax evasion charges by showing that your personal and business accounting are impeccably maintained.

7. Separate tax evasion charges at the state and federal level when possible to improve your defense. Your attorney should be able to press for separate jurisdictions before your case goes to trial. You should replicate successful defenses at the state level in federal court to avoid excessive fines and a tarnished reputation.

Tips & Warnings

• Locate an accounting firm in your community that is capable of assessing the accuracy of tax documents. Your accountant can provide testimony in court verifying that each tax document has been completed and submitted on time. The cost of accounting services can help you save on large legal fees for protracted cases.