The Associated Press reports that singer Lauryn Hill pleaded guilty to failing to file tax returns on more than $1.5 million she earned from 2005 through 2007. Hill’s attorney said she plans on paying the back taxes, interest and penalties before she is sentenced in November.
Ms. Hill claimed that she didn’t pay her taxes because “she withdrew from society to guarantee the safety and well-being of herself and her family.”
Huh?
Hill isn’t the first high profile taxpayer the IRS has made an example of. If you are famous and rich, you are a big catch for a criminal investigator and a federal prosecutor. Just ask Wesley Snipes.
The moral of this story is that the IRS more than ever is willing to file criminal charges against taxpayers who failed to file their tax returns.
If you haven’t filed your returns, you need to speak with a tax professional today and implement a plan to get them filed and pay your taxes to the government. Coming forward voluntarily before the IRS comes knocking is the best way to avoid criminal prosecution.