Daunting double-team: the IRS and the U.S. attorney’s office

In basketball, it’s difficult for virtually any player when the other team puts two defenders on them. Even stars like the Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki find such match-ups challenging and need help from teammates.

Now let’s apply this analogy to tax law. If the U.S. government suspects you of tax fraud, in a sense you are being double-teamed. When the investigation is into possible criminal conduct, both the IRS and federal prosecutors may be involved.

This was what happened in a recent Texas case. Last week, the U.S. attorney’s office for the San Antonio area and an IRS special agent announced criminal tax charges against three people.

One man is charged with 23 counts of preparing false and fraudulent income tax returns. The second is charged with one count of tax evasion and three counts of making a false return. The third man is charged with one count of tax evasion and four of making a false return.

All three men face prison time if convicted of the charges.

The charges were issued by a federal grand jury in the form of an indictment. But they were the result of an investigation in which both the IRS and federal prosecutors participated.

Obviously charges like this put a lot of pressure on the person facing them. Still, it’s best to remain calm. Just as a basketball player who is double-teamed looks for his or her teammates, however, someone facing criminal tax charges can get help from an attorney who defends criminal tax charges.

Source: “Three San Antonians facing IRS tax-fraud charges,” San Antonio Business Journal, James Aldridge, 4-4-13

To learn more about our practice, please visit our page on tax fraud charges.