From the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing - Can a CEO / CFO/ Controller/ Any Officer/ Accounting Employee of a Company be Criminally Charged for Tax Fraud at the Company?

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Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing, PC

Jul 28, 2020, 06:37 ET

IRVINE, Calif., July 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The answer to this question is a resounding yes! CEOs CFOs / Controllers /Any Officer /Accounting Employees of a Company can be, and often are, held accountable for tax fraud or other tax crimes that occur under their watch or through their participation. The behavior will have to have been willful on the part of the Corporate Officer or Accounting Employee like instructing a subordinate to commit tax fraud or by directly committing it themselves via "cooking the books", for it constitutes a chargeable tax crime. The prosecution may also be able to prove its case under a theory of "willful blindness." The concept of willful blindness is that even if you did not technically know that tax fraud was being committed, you should have known better due to your position and background and intentional avoidance of the facts.

In 2015, the former CEO of Arrow Trucking Company was sentenced to 7 and a half years in jail for tax fraud.

In 2019, the former CEO of a Pennsylvania oil and gas company was charged with and eventually pleaded guilty to tax evasion and the related tax-adjacent crime of bank fraud.

In July 2020, the CEO of a McCandless, PA cleaning company was sentenced to two years in prison for tax evasion that occurred under his watch at his company.

The best thing you can do if you are a Corporate Officer or Accounting Employee who knows they have exposed themselves to potential criminal tax liability is to hire a skilled Criminal Tax Defense Lawyer like those at the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing before a tax audit or criminal tax investigation begins. We can try to get you and your company back into compliance through a voluntary disclosure program. If you have already been charged, our lawyers can work to negotiate a pre indictment disposition of your case or fight for a not guilty verdict at trial.

To set up a consultation, call our office today at (800) 681-1295 or book ONLINE today.

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Public Contact: Dave Klasing Esq. M.S.-Tax CPA, [email protected]

SOURCE Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing, PC