It’s no secret that over the years a number of celebrities have struggled with major tax problems. Recently, several of the stars of the “Real Housewives” television series have also been added to that list.
Brandi Glanville, one of the stars of The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”, has been hit with a federal tax lien after owing approximately $112,000 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). After being promoted to a main cast member during the third season of her show, she racked up $29,396.35 in back taxes from 2013 and $82,448.38 from 2014. However, Brandi’s tax bill seems like spare change when compared to the tax issues that some of the other “Real Housewives” are facing.
NeNe Leakes, legally known as Linnethia Monique Leakes, has been also been hit with a federal tax lien from the 2014 tax year. In addition to her time on the “Real Housewives of Atlanta”, that year she launched a clothing line for the Home Shopping Network that sold out in just a few days and took a turn on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”. After all her success, documents filed in a Georgia Court state that the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star owes nearly $830,000 in back taxes!
Last but not least, “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Teresa Giudice and her husband Joe still owe the state of New Jersey after pleading guilty to charges in a bankruptcy fraud and tax evasion case. Only two months after Teresa was released from prison, she was hit with a tax lien for $23,365. Although Joe began his 41 month prison sentence in March, he was still slapped with a tax bill for $238,269 in April. Despite their legal troubles, the couple’s tax lawyer reports that they have already set up a payment plan to pay off the debt in full.
The purpose of a tax lien is to protect the government’s interest in your property. To file a lien, the IRS must first assess your tax liability and send you a bill. If that bill goes unpaid, the IRS will usually file a Notice of Federal Tax Lien, putting your creditors on notice that the government has a legal right (and the priority claim) to your property. Of course, if you sell any of your assets you may be forced to turn over any profits to the IRS to satisfy your debt. Additionally, a federal tax lien may continue even after you’ve filed for bankruptcy.
As the old saying goes, the only things certain in life are death and taxes. However, IRS policies are not enforced completely without mercy. If you pay your tax liability in full, the IRS will release the lien, and may even work with you to release the lien early if you have shown compliance while on a payment plan.
Over the last twenty years, Tax Helpers has saved our clients millions of dollars in taxes, penalties, and interest. Contact us today to speak with an expert tax lawyer in San Jose that is ready to help you resolve all of your tax problems.