Illegal Income

All income, regardless of how or where it is gained, is subject to tax in the United States. Someone who has gained a large sum of money through illegal activity is expected to pay taxes on that income, the same as if it had been earned legitimately. As a result, law enforcement agencies often use a suspected criminal’s financial information as a way of trapping him or her.

If you have been accused of a crime, the prosecution might attempt to use your finances against you. Al Capone is perhaps the most famous person to have been imprisoned for tax evasion, based on suspected illegal income. That was a unique case, of course: the number of people who do not have spotless financial records far exceeds the number of gang lords. Most of them are peaceful citizens trying to go about their lives.

Even if all of your income has been gained through legal means, it can sometimes be difficult to protect your financial record against scrutiny. Very few people keep exact records of all their financial transactions. In particular, people who deal with cash frequently-such as many self-employed or freelance workers-leave fewer traces of their activity. If this applies to your line of work, you can use the help of a skilled lawyer to prove your innocence.

Remember, however, that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. A lack of proof of legal income is not proof of illegal income. For a prosecutor to make a case against you, even to charge you with lesser tax-related offenses, he or she needs firm proof of financial misconduct.

Contact Us

No matter what the charges, everyone who has been charged with a crime is entitled to legal defense. The San Jose criminal lawyer, Daniel Jensen, can help you fight to maintain your freedom and see that justice is done. To discuss your case with a lawyer, contact us today at 408-296-4100.