Legal representation in criminal tax law

The Criminal tax law is complex – and complicated. This can have serious consequences for affected individuals, heirs and business owners. Penalties range from substantial fines to prison sentences of between 6 months and 10 years in particularly serious cases. We represent clients in all areas of Criminal tax law – out-of-court and in court – from the initial stages of reviewing and submitting a voluntary disclosure through to the discontinuation of proceedings, and, of course, during tax investigation proceedings involving searches, seizures, pre-trial detention, the preparation of a defence and the lodging of the necessary appeals, right through to criminal defence in court at all levels of jurisdiction.

Minimising risks through voluntary disclosure and prevention

Even following the revelation of numerous high-profile cases of tax evasion and the resulting flood of voluntary disclosures, the legislature continues to uphold the option of voluntary disclosure as a means of avoiding criminal prosecution. Although the requirements were significantly tightened with effect from 1 January 2015, we have nevertheless been able to successfully handle all voluntary disclosures since the introduction of the stricter regulations.

However, criminal tax law requires a high level of expertise from legal advisers and defence lawyers, and not just in cases of voluntary disclosure. Prevention is also becoming increasingly important – that is, minimising the risk of becoming involved in criminal tax law cases. This no longer applies solely to large companies and corporate groups, but also to small and medium-sized enterprises and to private individuals managing their own assets. After all, in criminal tax law, the criminal risks are usually accompanied by a high financial risk, which can threaten the very existence of many entrepreneurs and businesses. With us by your side, every step towards a voluntary disclosure is taken with confidence.

A strong team to defend you

Your first point of contact is Matthias E. Grimme. Thanks to his dual qualifications as a solicitor and tax adviser, his additional qualification as a specialist solicitor in tax law, and his experience in all aspects of criminal tax law, you can be confident that your interests will be defended to the highest standard. He is supported in this by a specialist team of solicitors specialising in company and inheritance law.

In these areas, we are at your service in every way and to the full extent:

• Representation in criminal tax proceedings
• Voluntary disclosure: Subsequent declaration of domestic and foreign income
• Value-added tax evasion
• Evasion of inheritance and gift tax
• an estate subject to tax in the case of inheritance or the gift of untaxed assets
• Subsequent declaration of (capital) income from undisclosed domestic and foreign bank accounts and securities accounts held by private individuals and so-called letterbox companies, as well as from foreign foundations and trusts
• Verification and declaration of yields from domestic and foreign distributing and accumulating investment funds