When Do You Need a Tax Evasion Lawyer?
If you have been accused of or charged with any type of tax evasion crime, it is very important to reach out to a lawyer for tax evasion for help. You may be accused of tax evasion if you committed an act that was designed to defraud the agency that handles government taxes, or the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
Tax evasion is a very broadly defined criminal offense. This allows the CRA to pursue you for almost any knowing misstatement you make on your taxes.
It is common for tax evasion to involve an individual or a corporation that misrepresents their income to the CRA, such as:
- Underreporting yearly income
- Inflating deductions
- Hiding taxable money
- Transferring funds to offshore accounts
There are also many other examples of conduct that may be considered tax evasion, such as:
- Personal income tax evasion, happens if you falsify income or other factual data
- Business tax evasion, which is conduct that occurs in connection with a business, such as:
- deliberately underreporting or omitting income
- overstating the amount of deductions
- claiming false deductions
- keeping more than one set of books
- making false statements in books and records
- hiding or transferring assets or income
- claiming personal expenses as business expenses
- Employment tax evasion, which happens with employment settings, such as:
- failure to pay employment taxes
- falsifying payroll
- employment leasing
- paying employees in cash
- pyramiding
It is important for you to be aware of these examples to avoid engaging in any of them, whether intentionally or accidentally. Because tax evasion is a criminal offense, there may be defenses available in your case.
Examples of defense options that you may want to discuss with your lawyer include:
- Insufficient evidence
- Entrapment
- Mistake
- Statute of limitations
- Insanity
If you have unknowingly engaged in any of these actions, your tax evasion attorney can help you remedy the situation before you face charges or have other issues. If you have already been charged, your tax evasion lawyer can protect your rights throughout the legal process and present any available defenses in your case.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Tax Evasion Lawyer in Canada?
How much it may cost you to hire a tax evasion attorney in your area may depend in numerous factors, such as:
- How complicated your tax evasion is
- Your attorney’s experience with tax evasion cases
- Your lawyer’s reputation in your area
- The geographical location where your attorney practices
- The fee arrangement you lawyer will use, for example:
- Hourly rate
- Flat fee
- Contingency fee
- Retainer fee
If your attorney uses an hourly fee schedule, it often ranges between CA$200 to CA$500 or more.
What to Look for in a Tax Evasion Lawyer?
There are some things that are important for you to look for when you are looking for a tax evasion lawyer. You should find an attorney you are comfortable working with and sharing personal information, including financial information.
Examples of things you may want to ask and discuss with your lawyer at your consultation include:
- Whether they will be providing you with a free consultation
- The fee structure they will charge you using
- How many similar cases they have handled
- The success rate of those cases
- How long your tax evasion case should take to resolve
- How often you will be updated on their case
- What method is used to stay in touch with clients
- If the details of your meeting will be covered by the attorney-client privilege
How to Prepare for Your Consultation With a Tax Evasion Lawyer?
There are things that you should do in order to prepare for your consultation with your tax evasion attorney to make sure your lawyer has all they need to prepare the best case possible for you. It is very important for you to gather any documents that may be helpful before the meeting and to bring them with you, which may include:
- Documents that pertain to your current criminal charges
- Any documents related to prior criminal cases, if you have had any
- Evidence that can support dropping the case against you, such as:
- Recordings
- Images
- Videos
- Text messages
- Financial documents
- A list of possible witnesses and their contact information
- Any other documents that could help may hep your lawyer make a case on your behalf
It is important that you write down a list of any questions or concerns that you want to discuss with your lawyer during the meeting. Examples of things you may want to discuss with your lawyer may include anything listed previously, as well as:
- Possible reductions in the charges against you
- The availability of alternative punishment programs
- The possible penalties you may face if convicted
Where to Find Tax Evasion Lawyers in Canada?
If you are looking for a tax evasion attorney near you, LegalMatch can help you find a stalking lawyer near you at no cost, quickly, and conveniently. You may have attempted an online search for, “tax evasion lawyers near me” or “tax evasion attorneys near me,” but you probably did not receive many helpful results.
When you use LegalMatch, you will get information about tax evasion lawyer near you, whether you are in a small town or a large city, such as Montreal, Vancouver, or Toronto, in a few simple steps, including:
- Submitting your issue: Your issue can be submitted in about 15 minutes.
- Getting matched: In around 24 hours, you will receive tax evasion attorney matches.
- Choosing a lawyer: Each lawyer match will include the attorney’s:
- Background
- Education
- Client reviews
- Fee arrangements
In contrast to general online searches, which require you to find out information about each lawyer on their own and contact their offices for help, LegalMatch helps you find a pre-screened and licensed lawyer matches in your area from lawyers who have reviewed your issue already and are able to help.
