According to a tax lien filed in NYC, the government says Kelis needs to pay up over $330,426.71 for taxes she neglected to pay in 2004 and 2010. Oddly, both 2004 and 2010 were good years for Kelis, TMZ says. In 2004, the “Milkshake” singer went on tour with Britney Spears and in 2010, she headlined her first US tour with singer Robyn, i.e. she had money.
As we all know, Kelis’ ex-husband Nas has had some tax problems as well. A lien was placed on his property earlier this year because he owed $339,005.49 in federal income tax for 2010. That’s on top of the reported $6 million dollars he owes in back taxes for previous years.
Unfortunately, it seems that tax problems are the name of the game for celebrities and it’s getting harder and harder to find celebrities who don’t owe back taxes at one time or another. Most of us regular people get our taxes taken out of our checks, but if you’re in business for yourself, as the majority of these celebrities are, you’re in charge of keeping track of your own finances and how much you owe Uncle Sam. Most celebrities hire an accountant to take care of their finances, so it’s unclear if these celebrities purposely didn’t pay their taxes or if their accountant’s head needs to roll.
In any case, taxes must be paid and it’s hard to feel sorry for Kelis. She married Nas after she didn’t pay taxes in 2004 and they certainly could have covered that bill then. Even after she divorced him, he was ordered to pay her $600,000 per year in 2009. The rapper got that amount reduced this year, but clearly Kelis has (or at least had) the dough to cover that bill without using a single dime of the money she actually made in 2004 and 2010.
Lauryn Hill is already facing three years in jail for her tax evasion, we don’t want to see Kelis suffering the same fate. – SOURCE
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