IRS Investigations Attorney
Matters of tax fraud are handled by the Internal Revenue Service or IRS. By the time you’re contacted, that means that IRS investigations are already underway, likely for some time, and a cache of evidence has already been gathered against you. The only reason an IRS agent would contact you would be to gather even more evidence and in the process trip you up and get you to incriminate yourself. The most important thing you can do in this kind of situation is to talk with the investigator as little as possible. Ideally, all you should do is ask for their card or contact information and then let them know that your attorney will be in touch.
The truth is that an IRS agent’s primary goal is to build and prosecute cases, and they will do absolutely anything that is in their power to accomplish this goal. It doesn’t do you any good to speak directly with an investigator, and this will only lead to further trouble down the road, so you should always consult with your attorney before communicating with investigators. One of the worst mistakes that a person can make is to assume that they have nothing to hide and to approach an investigation like they’re an open book.
While this is an admirable approach to take, it’s also completely mistaken. The investigation will almost certainly be wider and more far-reaching than you know, and it doesn’t take much for a savvy investigator to trip a defendant up. But not all legal firms are up to the challenge, so let’s take a look at what you need to know before making the choice of which defense attorney should represent you.
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What Should I Do First?
The very first thing that you should do is to get in touch with a competent defense attorney. Barring that, for example, if you’re arrested before even knowing that you’re under investigation, you should keep communication with the authorities to an absolute minimum. Don’t divulge anything, and instead insist that you first want to speak to your attorney.
The penalties for tax fraud and related charges that the IRS would pursue are quite steep, including things like fines of up to $250,000 and up to 5 years of jail time. That doesn’t even take into account things like other charges which might be compounded on top of the charges that the IRS might pursue. The federal government often tacks on as many charges as they can, especially in cases of white-collar crime, and especially in cases that directly affect the government, like tax fraud does. So along with this first charge, you could end up facing down other charges as well.
What Charges are Brought Up in IRS Investigations?
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the other charges that might be brought up against you, but some of the most common additional charges would be things like mail fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering. As you probably guessed, each of these charges carries with them additional penalties such as steep fines and harsh prison sentencing, so that initial investigation by the IRS has the potential for landing you in prison for years or even decades.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the right defense attorney can literally be the difference between you spending the rest of your life in federal prison and you get to walk free, with all charges against you dropped before you even step foot inside a courtroom. So with all of that said, what are some of the considerations you need to make when you’re trying to choose the right legal firm for IRS investigations? Let’s go ahead and take a look.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Legal Firm
Not everyone realizes this, at least consciously, but not all legal firms are equal. Some people think that they can just pick the first firm they come across in their search, but this is misguided at best, and it could be disastrous at worst. Not all firms have the experience, skill, and resources necessary to even represent a case in federal court, let alone one where the IRS is involved. A firm that’s done most of its work at the state level will quite simply be out of its depth in a situation like this, and you don’t want to be put in a place where your attorney is using you as a guinea pig and learning as they go.
You need and deserve experience, resolve, and sufficient resources to fight your charges and win your case. A legal firm with a savvy marketing strategy isn’t the same as a firm that has years of experience in the trenches, doing the hard work to make sure that its clients are protected. To get the best results in your case, you need to go with the Norman Spencer Law Group.
How Norman Spencer Law Group Can Help With IRS Investigations
With a combined 70+ years of experience among its defense attorneys, you’d be hard-pressed to find a legal firm out there that’s better equipped than the Norman Spencer Law Group. We’ve represented all types of people and cases, including ones that look just like you and yours. No case is too big and no case is too small, and complexity is no problem for us.
We’ve represented clients at both the state and federal levels, and we have a proven track record of defending our clients, including in cases that somehow involve the IRS. So get in touch with us today, and someone from our team will get back to you as soon as possible so that we can get you the help that you need and deserve.