People around the country and here in California often see news stories about celebrities that are in trouble with the IRS. When celebrities fail to pay their taxes, the amount of back taxes they owe tends to run in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars. Songstress Kelis is no exception.
Records show that she owed a total of somewhere in the neighborhood of $700,000 in taxes not only to the IRS,but to two states as well. Recently, she was able to make a significant dent in that amount by paying off the money she owes to the IRS. Seeing those lien releases filed by the IRS may have felt like winning a Grammy.
With that nearly $400,000 off of her shoulders, she may now decide to concentrate on paying off her state taxes. She owes the remaining amount of approximately $300,000 to California and New York. How much she specifically owes to each state was not reported. However, it is a foregone conclusion that interest and penalties could be piling up daily on amounts owed to each state.
Owing back taxes can cause a great deal of stress for anyone, and celebrities are no exception. It is important, however, to be sure that the amounts owed are accurate. Tax authorities such as the IRS and state agencies are staffed by human beings who can make mistakes. Before making any payments to the taxing authority, it may be beneficial to make ask for an accounting on the amounts to make no mistakes were made. Everyone has the right to question the validity of a tax assessment.
Source: theboombox.com, Kelis Pays Nearly $400K in Back Taxes, Amber Mckynzie, Sept. 24, 2013
