Out of approximately 125 million individual tax returns filed every year, only about 2600 inviduals get prosecuted by the IRS each year for criminal conduct. In other words, you have a better chance of getting swallowed up by a sink hole than going to jail for criminal tax violations.
What landed people like Wesley Snipes, Leona Helmsley and others in jail was deliberaly making false statements on their tax documents that grossly under reported income or they fabricated documents to support bogus deductions. People who are prosecuted by the IRS have deliberately deceived the IRS.
Even if You Think You Committed a Criminal Act Relating to Your Tax Returns – You Probably Didn’t do Anything that Rises to the Level of Criminal Conduct
You may have incorrectly reported income. You have have listed deductions that were erroneous. You probably did not do anything that will land you in jail. Criminal prosecution is reserved for premeditated tax cheats. I’ve had many clients who did not report income, the IRS found out, and the worst that happened – after negotiating with the IRS – is the client paid a hefty penalty. There was no jail time.
If an IRS Special Agent Contacts You, Say Nothing. Tell Him or Her You Will Answer Questions After Retaining Professional Representation
There is a right time and a right way to properly respond to a criminal IRS investigation. Until you and your attorney understand the nature and scope of the investigation, talking with the IRS voluntarily is dangerous. The IRS may know more than you think at this point. There may be no benefit to letting them compare their facts to yours.
What you need to do is relax, take a deep breath and get the right help. Faith Law Firm can help you. We can provide a confidential consultation and review exactly what you can do, and what you should not do. So if you have any tax worries, big or small, give us call. We’re available 24 hours a day by calling 1 800 659 0525. God bless.
