According to a Department of Justice press release, a New Jersey man has been found guilty of tax evasion and failure to file personal income tax returns, underscoring the serious consequences of willful tax law violations. If you have fallen behind on filing your federal or state income tax return, or have submitted false tax documents, it’s crucial to seek assistance from an experienced tax attorney to help rectify your situation.
Defendant Falsely Claimed Tax Exemption and Failed to File Returns
Jonathan D. Michael of Springfield, New Jersey, was convicted by a federal jury of tax evasion and failure to file personal income tax returns despite earning nearly $1.5 million over a period of five years. Michael, who worked as a mechanic in the crane shop at the Port Newark Container Terminal, provided his employer with a withholding certificate that falsely claimed he was exempt from federal income tax withholding. From 2014 to 2018, Michael did not file personal income tax returns, resulting in a tax loss to the IRS of over $375,000.
Michael’s sentencing is scheduled for October 23, 2023. He faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion and one year in prison for each count of willful failure to file a tax return. In addition, he could be subjected to a period of supervised release, restitution, and other monetary penalties.
Avoiding Severe Tax Law Consequences with the Help of a Tax Attorney
The defendant’s case serves as a stark reminder of the potential civil and criminal penalties for willfully violating tax laws. If you find yourself falling behind on tax filings or have filed a false tax return, it’s critical to contact an experienced tax attorney. They can help you determine the best way to rectify your situation with the IRS, potentially mitigating penalties and aiming to ensure your physical and financial freedom.
Providing false information on tax documents and failing to file tax returns can lead to severe repercussions, including substantial fines and imprisonment. An experienced tax attorney can help navigate the complexities of tax law, ensure that you’re in compliance with all tax laws, and represent your interests if you’re facing an audit or charges for tax evasion or fraud.
If you have failed to file a tax return for one or more years or have taken a position on a tax return that could not be supported upon an IRS or state tax authority audit, eggshell audit, reverse eggshell audit, or criminal tax investigation, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced tax defense attorney to determine your best route back into federal or state tax compliance without facing criminal prosecution.
Note: As long as a taxpayer that has willfully committed tax crimes (potentially including non-filed foreign information returns coupled with affirmative evasion of U.S. income tax on offshore income) self-reports the tax fraud (including a pattern of non-filed returns) through a domestic or offshore voluntary disclosure before the IRS has started an audit or criminal tax investigation / prosecution, the taxpayer can ordinarily be successfully brought back into tax compliance and receive a nearly guaranteed pass on criminal tax prosecution and simultaneously often receive a break on the civil penalties that would otherwise apply.
It is imperative that you hire an experienced and reputable criminal tax defense attorney to take you through the voluntary disclosure process. Only an Attorney has the Attorney Client Privilege and Work Product Privileges that will prevent the very professional that you hire from being potentially being forced to become a witness against you, especially where they prepared the returns that need to be amended, in a subsequent criminal tax audit, investigation or prosecution.
Moreover, only an Attorney can enter you into a voluntary disclosure without engaging in the unauthorized practice of law (a crime in itself). Only an Attorney trained in Criminal Tax Defense fully understands the risks and rewards involved in voluntary disclosures and how to protect you if you do not qualify for a voluntary disclosure.
As uniquely qualified and extensively experienced Criminal Tax Defense Tax Attorneys, KovelCPAs and EAs, our firm provides a one stop shop to efficiently achieve the optimal and predictable results that simultaneously protect your liberty and your net worth. See our Testimonials to see what our clients have to say about us!
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Regardless of your business or estate needs, the professionals at the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing are here for you. We are open for business and our team will help ensure that your business is too. Contact the Law Offices of David W. Klasing today to discuss your business with one of our professionals.
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