If you have been contacted by an investigator for the Florida Department of Revenue, it is time to contact a criminal defense attorney in Fort Lauderdale.  This step is necessary to help you avoid the possibility of incriminating yourself and so that you can avoid the possibility of being convicted for the offense.  A criminal defense attorney in Fort Lauderdale will discuss the following topics:

Examples of Tax Fraud 

Your lawyer can explain that there are a number of ways that a person can be charged for tax fraud, including:

• Submitting fraudulent tax returns
• Not filing taxes
• Reporting inaccurate figures to skew tax responsibilities
• Falsifying business records to evade tax responsibilities
• Failing to pay taxes owed

Penalties 

The potential penalties that you can face for sales tax fraud involves the unpaid amount in sales tax.  For example, if you owe the following amounts, you can be penalized by up to:

• $301-$20,000 – Third degree felony, five years in prison, fines in the amount of $5,000
• $20,001-$100,000 – Second degree felony, fifteen years in prison, fines in the amount of $10,000
• More than $100,000 – First degree felony, thirty years in prison, $10,000 in fines

Alternatives

Rather than facing the serious consequences that a tax fraud conviction can entail, there may be alternative options worth exploring.  Often, the state just wants its money rather than having to finance an expensive tax fraud case.  A criminal defense lawyer may be able to negotiate with the investigator involved in the case or the state’s attorney so that a payment plan can be set up.  If you have knowledge about how someone is intentionally defrauding the government, your cooperation may prove valuable.  There are also a variety of diversion and intervention programs that can help you avoid acquiring a criminal conviction.  A criminal defense lawyer can discuss these options and whether they may apply to your case.