In federal court in Los Angeles, the judge also warned Biden that he could face fines ranging from $500,000 to $1 million.
President Joe Biden has previously said he would not use his executive power to pardon his son.
Biden's attorney, Abbie Lowell, said her client wanted the trial to end on Thursday “for his personal benefit” and to prevent his friends and family from testifying about what happened “when he was on drugs.”
He had previously asked to enter an Alford plea, a rare legal maneuver that would allow him to plead not guilty and to be tried in the courtroom. But he changed his mind after prosecutors objected and a judge brought up a possible defense.
Prosecutors (who represent President Biden's Justice Department) said they were “shocked” by the Alford plea deal and were reluctant to agree to a settlement if it allowed Hunter Biden to plead not guilty.
“Hunter Biden is not innocent. Hunter Biden is guilty,” lead prosecutor Leo Wise said in court.
“We have come to court today to try this case.”
After prosecutors read all 56 pages of the indictment against Biden, Biden is expected to formally plead guilty.
Biden previously sought to dismiss the case, arguing that the Justice Department's investigation was politically motivated and targeted him selectively as Republicans sought to impeach his father.
He also alleged that the special prosecutor in charge of the case, David Weiss, was appointed illegally.
That argument was dismissed by Judge Scarsi, who is overseeing the case and considering whether to accept Biden's new defense.
The president's son was indicted in December on three felony tax violations and six misdemeanor counts, including failing to file and pay taxes, tax evasion and filing false returns.
According to the indictment, Biden earned $7 million from foreign business dealings between 2016 and 2019.
The indictment said he spent nearly $5 million on “everything but taxes” during that period.
According to the indictment, those purchases included drugs, escorts, luxury hotels, luxury cars and clothing, which Biden falsely classified as business expenses.
Prosecutors said Biden's actions amounted to a “four-year plan.”
“For each year in which he failed to pay his taxes, the defendant had sufficient funds to pay some or all of the unpaid taxes,” the indictment states. “However, he chose not to pay his taxes.”
His tax evasion trial is the second federal criminal case against Biden this year.
In June, he was convicted on gun possession and drug-related charges, becoming the first son of a sitting U.S. president to be convicted of a crime.
Specifically, Biden was convicted in 2018 of three felony counts related to purchasing a revolver while battling drug addiction and lying about drug use on federal forms to purchase a firearm.
