IRS Chases Celebrity Tax Cheats

Today is April 15th...D-Day for filing taxes with the IRS. most of us meet our tax obligations, but high profile celebrities are often pursued by the IRS for tax evasion. Sometimes they pay, but sometimes they wind up in prison. From former Fugees singer Lauryn Hill to actor Wesley Snipes, who was recently released from prison earlier this month after serving over 2 years for owing nearly $17 million in back taxes. The Grio lists 20 Black celebrities with tax problems. Here are a few well known entertainers from the list who are shadow boxing with the IRS:

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Beyond Gold Chains: Hip Hop Cash Kings

Forbes has released a new list of Hip Hop's richest rappers. Looking at the list, you'll find that those at the top took their super lyrics and diversified. Now record and film producers, fashion designers, and media moguls, the new Hip Hop stars are applying their talents to a variety of enterprises and walking away with cash money. Let's take a look at the net worth of the five top twenty empire builders in the Hip Hop game.

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National Urban League: 2013 State of Black America

This week the National Urban League released its 2013 State of Black America report, a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of where black and Latino Americans stand in relation to their white counterparts in the US.

The report documents extraordinary gains in education even as it underscores inequities in employment that continue to be reflected in the income gaps that underwrite so many social factors, effectively detailed in the Equality Index, the National Urban League’s comprehensive model that accounts for education, health, civic engagement, social justice, and economics across race, taking into account age, region, and other factors.

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Remembering Number 42: Breaking the Color Barrier

Many young people today have no idea of who Jackie Robinson is or what he endured. Some adults know that on Jackie Robinson Day, everyone wears 42, but many don’t know the significance behind it.

As the 2013 baseball season kicks off, the legacy of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American player to take the field in the 20th Century, is remembered. Major League Baseball’s Jackie Robinson Day will be celebrated this Monday, April 15th. Every player will don Robinson’s number, 42, marking the 64th anniversary of the Hall of Famer breaking baseball’s color barrier.

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Mouseketeers Move On to Fame

"Come along and sing this song and join our jamboree". ..that was the open invitation to fun at the Mickey Mouse Club. The classic variety show first aired on October 3, 1955 with the final episode showcased on March 7, 1996. Walt Disney created "The Mickey Mouse Club" TV show to fund the construction of his Disneyland theme park in California. The recent death of Annette Funicello, one of the most famous mouseketeers, made some wonder what happened to the cast members they came to love while watching the show through the years.

We doubt Disney ever imagined he'd be launching the careers of some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, too. Take a look at some of the stars that got their start at the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

 

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Wesley Snipes Leaves Prison

Well, it looks like actor Wesley Snipes will beat the April 15th deadline. No, not for filing his taxes...that's where his troubles started in the first place.

The "Blade" star, who was convicted in 2008 on charges that he failed to file income tax returns during a three year period, was released last Tuesday from a federal prison in Pennsylvania, according to the Associated Press.

Snipes, 50, is almost a free man after serving 28 months of his three year sentence. He's now under home confinement, which will be overseen by the New York Community Corrections Office, until July 19.

Snipes entered prison in December 2010 after being convicted of tax evasion. He belonged to a group that challenged the government's right to collect taxes. Prosecutors say he failed to file returns for at least a decade and owed millions in back taxes. He lost his appeal in an Atlanta court.

Snipes has appeared in dozens of films, from "White Men Can't Jump" and "Demolition Man" in the early 1990s to the "Blade" trilogy.

 

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