Florida Tax Evader OJ Simpson and the other 5 Most Infamous Tax Evaders of All Time
Ben Franklin may have been overly optimistic for the Internal Revenue Service when he said that the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. For many people, avoiding their tax responsibility is an art form. From offshore accounts, to hiding income, to simply not paying the bill, the following six people have made the tax evasion hall of fame.
Walter Anderson
This telecom entrepreneur was at the center of the largest tax evasion case in United States history. A 2005 probe revealed that Anderson had used an elaborate network of offshore companies to hide money from the IRS. In the end he was found to owe $200 million to the government, and was ordered to pay $400 million after pleading guilty to the charges against him.
Sinbad
Celebrity and comedian Sinbad reportedly filed federal income tax returns every year between 1998 and 2006, but never actually sent in the money he owed on the returns. His total delinquent tax bill is $8.5 million, which may be hard for the IRS to collect, since Sinbad's 2009 bankruptcy filing reveals that he has a negative net worth.
Dionne Warwick
The California Franchise Tax Board has named Ms. Warwick one of the worst tax debtors in California. She reportedly owes $2.67 million to the state of California. She has apparently not been prosecuted, and sources report that she is in the process of paying what she owes.
OJ Simpson
Simpson is perhaps better known for more serious charges than tax evasion, but he has been accused by the state of California of owing the state $1.44 million in unpaid taxes, which he tried to avoid by moving to Florida.
Marc Anthony
Latino singer Anthony failed to pay his taxes from 2000 to 2004, saying that he had hired a firm to handle his finances and was unaware that he owed $2.5 million in taxes to the federal government. The firm pleaded guilty to tax felonies and was punished; Anthony paid his tax bill and was not prosecuted.
Leona Helmsley
In 1989 this billionaire hotelier was charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, three counts of tax evasion, three counts of filing false personal tax returns, sixteen counts of assisting in the filing of false corporate and partnership tax returns, and ten counts of mail fraud, according to Wikipedia. She was sentenced to sixteen years in prison but only served 19 months behind bars and two years on house arrest.
Read about some other top tax dodgers at The 12 Most Notorious Tax Evaders of All-Time.
If you live in the Jacksonville, Florida or Orlando, Florida area and require assistance with tax planning, please contact Wood, Atter & Wolf for tax planning legal counsel.
