Title: Hiding Money - How Tax Evasion Works | HowStuffWorks
Headings: How Tax Evasion Works
How Tax Evasion Works
Hiding Money

Content: Hiding money is a form of underreporting income in which there is no question that the perpetrator is committing tax evasion. You don't "accidentally" deposit millions of dollars in gambling winnings in an untraceable offshore account. This type of tax evasion requires a knowing intent to cheat the system and is punishable by significant jail time. Money laundering is a prime example of evading taxes by hiding the source and amount of income. Money laundering is an attempt to disguise illegal income — from a drug operation, illegal gambling ring or other form of organized crime — as legitimate income, or to erase evidence of the income altogether. Advertisement
In the past, money laundering was primarily accomplished through a front, or shell company, two terms describing an incorporated legitimate business with no real function other than to "clean" dirty money from an illegal activity [source: Legal Information Institute]. The classic example is a beauty salon or a dry cleaning business that never seems to be open. The money launderers draw up fake invoices and receipts to create the appearance of a thriving business. But instead of earning real income, the money launderers deposit funds earned from the illegal activity.