If you do not pay your taxes through illicit means it is called tax evasion. Avoidance, on the other hand, is reducing the amount of taxes you pay utilizing legal methods. The IRS reacts with severe penalties to tax evasion. Avoidance of tax payments is regarded as the right of every American taxpayer. Tax evasion requires deliberate and intentional methods to achieve its end. This includes but is not restricted to failure to report the collection of such taxes as sales tax. It may involve investments outside the country that are not noted for tax purposes or are reported falsely. The taxpayer involved may be running an employment tax scam for the purposes of tax evasion. Avoidance, however, while intentional, only attempts to minimize or eliminate a tax obligation through legitimate means. This may mean finding and employing a reasonable or different interpretation of specific tax legislation. There are no other specific legal terms for tax evasion. Avoidance is, however, referred to as both tax mitigation and tax minimization