State Tax Crimes

Connecticut, and New York to a lesser degree, have stepped up criminal prosecution of individuals who have not filed returns or paid to outstanding tax liability. The Connecticut Department of Revenue Services regularly converts a civil tax liability into a criminal matter if the taxpayer ignores the Department’s collection efforts. Once the referral is made, the Department’s criminal agents will go out and arrest the taxpayer, schedule a criminal court date and, generally, release the taxpayer with a promise to appear in criminal court. On some occasions, the Department’s criminal agent will require a bond, which creates additional expense and, on occasion, even haul the taxpayer off to jail. We handle these matters routinely. Because we handle so many of these matters, we know the Department attorneys and criminal agents and we generally arrange for the client to pay off the tax liability before the first substantive hearing and, thereby, avoid a conviction. We have also been successful at convincing the Department to withdraw the criminal charges if the circumstances warrant. If you are faced with a Connecticut criminal tax claim, we can help.

Call Stuart B. Ratner, P.C., Today

If you face a tax appeal and want an agile and useful ally to defend your rights in appellate court or litigation, call us at 203-323-4900. You can also contact us online.