The Florida Bar - Board Certified Badge
Martindale-Hubbell - AV Preeminent Badge
Super Lawyers - Michael B Cohen Badge

Fort Lauderdale Tax Fraud Attorney

Tax fraud is a very serious federal crime. If you've been accused of the charge of tax fraud it is extremely important to have an experienced Fort Lauderdale tax fraud lawyer on your side that has the abilities to direct their client through the complexities of the law.

Many people cheat on their taxes.
Some get away with it but many get caught.

The difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion walks a thin line with avoidance skirting the existing laws by legal means, in many cases using creative accounting to do so but evasion does not use legal methods and clearly is in violation of the ever-changing existing of the tax code.

Tax Fraud can be broken down into two separate types of cases.

The first; and the one which is less serious, although if you're accused and charged with this crime it will feel very serious to you, relates to allegations involving your personal or small business tax return. The second type is much more blatant and a conviction is punishable by much harsher penalties;

So first, let's explore the first type of this offense.

This type of fraud known as tax evasion usually deals with filing incorrect data with intent to do so and is considered a federal crime. Crimes involving tax evasion is investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and their "kill rate" or in simple terms their rate of success has never fallen below ninety percent since 1919; which is an unmatched record within all Agencies of federal law enforcement.

In most of these cases, although the crime is deemed to be defrauding the United States government, it usually isn't a crime based on any other underlying crimes.

This type of tax fraud usually addresses knowingly filing and submitting a return with improper information in order to evade paying amounts of money that is rightfully due to the IRS.

There are numerous examples of tax evasion that can cause legal jeopardy such as underreporting your total amount of income, hiding taxable assets or cash by keeping two sets of books, claiming deductions that you're not eligible for, submitting additional charitable donations than you actually didn't contribute, claiming business expenses that didn't actually happen, among a list of others.

These are just a few of the many types of improper filings that can lead to the government seeking an action against you.

Usually, these types of cases can be resolved by repayment of funds that were due along with interest and substantial penalties.

However, prison time is still an option depending on how egregious the government feels the crime is. This is only one of the reasons why if an investigation has been initiated and you've been contacted by the IRS it is crucial to have a Fort Lauderdale Tax Fraud Attorney by your side.

If you go by the letter of the law, the crime described above can be punishable by up to five years imprisonment and fines up to $250,000. The fine can be upped to $500,000 if the fraud involves a corporation.

Tax evasion cases can take quite a long time before they reach their conclusion. Keep in mind, as previously designated; tax evasion is a federal crime. It is important to hire an attorney with federal training and experience to guide you through the intricacies of the process at the earliest possible time once you find out you may be the target of an investigation.

When You Need a Tax Fraud Lawyer who Practices in Fort Lauderdale

It can't be stressed enough that an action against you for Tax Evasion or any other federal offense should not be taken lightly.

Many Attorneys who practice in Fort Lauderdale do not have the essential training to properly defend Tax Evasion charges or other cases that fall within federal criminal complaints.

If this unfortunate circumstance arises and you, a family member or friend requires the services of a qualified lawyer who practices in Fort Lauderdale who has vast experience in federal cases, Mr. Cohen's qualifications and previous work as an Assistant Federal Prosecutor can only aid your cause when selecting appropriate representation and shaping a winning defense.

The below links will connect you to the second, much more serious type of tax fraud (Conspiracy to Defraud by Filing Fraudulent Returns) which massively defrauds the government, as well as articles associated to the crime.