Tax Avoidance

Tax avoidance is the legitimate minimizing of taxes, using methods included in the tax
code. Businesses avoid taxes by taking all legitimate deductions and by sheltering income from
taxes by setting up employee retirement plans and other means, all legal and under the Internal
Revenue Code or state tax codes.

You may have heard of "tax shields" These shields are for protection against higher taxes, and
they are the strategies that make up tax avoidance.

Some Examples of Tax Avoidance Strategies

 Taking legitimate tax deductions to minimize business expenses and thus lower your
business tax bill.
 Setting up a tax deferral plan such as an IRA, SEP-IRA, or 401(k) plan to delay taxes
until a later date.
 Taking tax credits for spending money for legitimate purposes, like taking a Work
Opportunity Tax Credit for hiring workers in your business.

Tax Loophole

A tax loophole, according to Investopedia, is a

"technicality that allows a person or business to avoid the scope of a law or restriction without
directly violating the law."

Since the tax code is so complex, savvy tax experts have found ways to lower taxes for their
clients without breaking the law, taking advantage of parts of the law.

Some tax loopholes are deliberate on the part of lawmakers; accelerated depreciation is one
example.

Note the word "avoid" in the definition; finding a way to avoid paying taxes by finding a hole in
the tax code is tax avoidance, not evasion. Just be aware that there are some gray areas in the
law. Getting a competent, honest tax expert can save you from going over the line to tax
evasion.

Tax Evasion

Tax evasion, on the other hand, is the illegal practice of not paying taxes, by not reporting
income, reporting expenses not legally allowed, or by not paying taxes owed. In this situation,
the phrase "ignorance of the law is no excuse" comes to mind.

Tax evasion is most commonly thought of in relation to income taxes, but tax evasion can be
practiced by businesses on state sales taxes and on employment taxes. One common tax evasion
strategy is failing to pay turn over taxes you have collected from others to the proper federal or
state agency.

These taxes are called trust fund taxes, because they are given in trust to a business, with the
expectation that they will be turned over to the appropriate state or federal agency. Failing to
pay employment taxes to the IRS and sales taxes to a state taxing authority and other federal,
state, and local taxes can mean high fines and penalties.

In fact, tax evasion can be practiced on all the taxes a business owes.

Examples of Practices Which Are Considered Tax Evasion

It's considered tax evasion if you knowingly fail to report income.

Under-reporting income (claiming less income than you actually received from a specific source

 Providing false information to the IRS about business income or expenses

 Deliberately underpaying taxes owed
 Substantially understating your taxes (by stating a tax amount on your return which is
less than the amount owed on the income you reported).

Employment Tax Fraud Examples

Tax evasion isn't limited to income tax returns. Businesses that have employees may
be committing tax evasion in several ways:

 Failure to withhold/pyramiding: An employer fails to withhold federal income tax or

FICA taxes from employee paychecks, or withholds but fails to report and pay
these payroll taxes, as described above.
 Employment leasing, which the IRS explains is hiring an outside payroll service that
doesn't turn over funds to the IRS.
 Paying employees in cash and failing to report some or all of these cash payments.
 Filing false payroll tax reports or failing to file these returns.

Here are some other tax mistakes business owners make that are considered tax evasion.

This is not an exhaustive list, but just a sample of the kinds of tax-evasion strategies the IRS is
on the lookout for.

Tax Evasion vs. Tax Fraud

Tax fraud is basically the same as tax evasion. Fraud can be defined as "an act of deceiving or
misrepresenting," and that's what someone evading taxes does — deceiving the IRS about
income or expenses.
How to Avoid Tax Evasion Charges

While tax evasion might seem willful, you may be subject to fines and penalties from the IRS for
tax strategies they consider to be illegal and which you were unaware you were practicing.

The best way to avoid being charged with tax evasion is to know the tax laws for income taxes
and employment taxes. For example, knowing what deductions are legal and the recordkeeping
requirements for deductions is a big factor in avoiding an audit. For employers, knowing the
payroll tax reporting and payment requirements will help keep you out of trouble.

Get an honest, careful tax professional to help you with your taxes. Listen to your tax preparer
and keep excellent records of all income and expenses, even if you have a cash-based business.
And keep reading articles from this site and others, to learn more about what constitutes tax
evasion.

The Cost of Tax Evasion

Some tax evasion cases may be reviewed in tax court, but others are turned over to the IRS
criminal division or to a state or local taxing authority for prosecution.

Even if the taxpayer is eventually found not guilty, the costs in time and money are enormous.

Since tax evasion is considered intentional and "willful," the IRS can bring criminal charges
against those convicted of tax evasion. The penalties can include jail time as well as substantial
fines and penalties. This page from the IRS on the penalties for tax fraud is a sobering reminder
of the cost of attempting to cheat on taxes.