Tax revenue is used by the federal government to support a variety of programs. Therefore, the Internal Revenue Service takes collection of taxes very seriously. If Georgia residents fail to pay their taxes, submit fraudulent returns or have other tax code violations, then they can face federal criminal charges. These charges can have serious penalties. One case has recently highlighted how serious tax code violations can become for an individual. In this case, a 64-year-old elected official has been indicted on tax violations and other felonies. This man is accused of accepting bribes while working as a county commissioner. According to prosecutors, these bribes included land, cars and cash worth over $950,000. However, officials claim that these financial benefits were never disclosed on his tax returns. Furthermore, the man is accused of failing to report income from a business he co-owned.
Therefore, the man has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the IRS, subscribing to a false and fraudulent U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, attempting to evade payment of tax and others. For the tax related crimes, the man is facing between three and five years in federal prison on each count. In addition to the prison time, the man could also face fines up to $250,000 on each count.
Under the U.S. tax code, people must report income from every source. By not reporting income or falsely reporting income, people can face these penalties in federal court. However, the tax code is complicated and mistakes can easily be made. In these cases people should make sure they understand their legal rights and all the possible criminal defense options available to them.
Source: WTAW, "Longtime Dallas County Commissioner Arrested After Federal Grand Jury Indictment," Bill Oliver, July 25, 2014