7 Musicians with Tax Problems: R. Kelly, Robin Thicke, and more

Happy tax day! If you feel stressed out and miserable that you waited until the last minute to do your taxes (if that's the case, stop reading this and get back to your taxes), don't feel so bad: Even the rich and famous are awful at paying the IRS. Here are seven musicians that have run into trouble with Uncle Sam.

1. Willie Nelson

In the early '90s, Willie Nelson discovered that his accountant hadn't been paying his taxes for years, which resulted in him owing over $32 million to the IRS, later reduced to $16 million. To raise the money he owed, Nelson released a double LP in 1992, shamelessly titled The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy the Memories? The album earned Nelson $3.6 million to pay back his taxes.

2. Nas

Though the IRS issued a tax lien against Nas in 2009 for $2.5 million, by 2011 his debt had risen to more than $6 million, resulting in the IRS taking a portion of his earnings from BMI and ASCAP licensing.

3. R. Kelly

R. Kelly might be just as famous for his legal troubles as for his music; in 2011 it was revealed that he owed $1.3 million to the IRS, but later negotiated his bill down to $837,000. However, by 2012 he still hadn't paid the IRS back, and his debt ballooned to $5 million.

4. Robin Thicke

Before he released "Blurred Lines" and became beloved/despised by mainstream America, Robin Thicke, along with his then-wife Paula Patton, owed nearly half a million dollars in federal taxes in 2011.

5. Vince Neil

After someone's been arrested for drunk driving on multiple occasions, nobody should really be surprised that they're not very good at paying their taxes, either. Mötley Crüe lead vocalist Vince Neil found himself in that boat, owing the IRS more than $700,000 in 2010, and then over $1 million in 2011. He blamed his tax problems on his accountant.

6. Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry's insistence that he be paid in cash is a pretty obvious sign that he likes to cheat on his taxes. In 1979, the law caught up to him and sentenced him to jail for four months, as well as 1,000 hours of community service.

7. Ozzy Osbourne

Does Ozzy Osbourne even look like he knows what taxes are? In 2011, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne owed $1.7 million to the IRS, in addition to their daughter Kelly owing over $30,000 herself.

Tags

Willie Nelson, Nas, R.Kelly, Robin Thicke, Vince Neil, Motley Crue, Chuck berry, Ozzy Osbourne