Famous Tax Evaders

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From the moment people began to draw a substantial income, they become painfully aware of the bittersweet phenomena of income tax withdrawals. Simply put, the more you make, the more the government takes out in taxes. Though there isn’t anything you can do about it legally, many famous people have decided to try their luck and avoid paying their fare share of taxes, often with devastating results. Here is a list of some of the most famous tax evaders and exactly what happened to them.

Judy Garland:

Judy Garland was one of the most famous movie stars who ever graced the big screen. Her life, however, was another story. She struggled with drugs, self image problems and depression before finally dying at the tender age of 47. When the Grammy and Special Tony Award-winning actress was audited, she was forced to pay the government hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes for unpaid taxes between 1951 and 1952.

Al Capone:

One of the most infamous gangsters of all time, Al Capone led a life of crime, but the FBI wasn’t able to convict him on a single criminal act. Since they were unsuccessful at canning Capone on anything else, the Feds simply indicted him on tax evasion in 1931. He was sentenced to serve 11 years in jail.

William Bud Abbott and Lou Costello:

This pair of comedy stars, Abbott and Costello, were extremely popular in the 1940s and 50s, but as the public began to lose interest in them, their act suffered. At the end of the day, the pair owed the government so much money that they had to sell their homes and declare bankruptcy in order to settle the debt.

Tom Coughlin:

Tom Coughlin worked for Wal-Mart for 28 years and eventually attained the rank of vice chairman of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Unfortunately, his position couldn’t save him from the long arm of the law, and in 2008, he was sentenced to home detention and probation for tax evasion and fraud.

Pete Rose:

Pete Rose was and perhaps is one of America’s most iconic baseball stars, and he is also one of the most prolific tax evaders of all time. Being jailed on multiple occasions for tax fraud, he was forced to pay back $366,041 in back taxes.

Wesley Snipes:

In 2006, Hollywood actor and producer Wesley Snipes was charged with conspiring to defraud the United States for charges involving claims going back 10 years. Although he was sentenced to three years in prison, he is still allowed to be out on bail until the final disposition of his appeal.

Nicholas Cage:

Nicholas Cage was once one of the top actors in the movie industry, but ever since his career has started to dwindle, so have his finances. Not only has he attempted to sue his manager for 20 million dollars, he is also under investigation for failing to pay federal income taxes amounting to over $6.5 million.

Sophia Loren:

Italian movie star Sophia Lorenis considered, by some, to be one of the most beautiful actresses of all time, but her beauty couldn’t prevent her from going to jail behind tax evasion. And in 1982 the beauty was imprisoned for tax evasion and spent 18 days in the slammer.

Byline
This piece was composed by Evan Winston, a freelancer who focuses on law, finance, taxation, real estate, business development, and other related matters; taxes are often difficult to file independently, so those looking for assistance should view R&B Brenner Tax Preparation.