Would You Let Them Channing On Your Tatum?
'The Voice' Crowns Its Winner
Rule number one of musical stardom: pay your taxes. Ja Rule, who's already been off the rap radar while serving a two-year gun-possession bid, was sentenced Monday to another 28 months behind bars for failing to file income tax returns.
The offense, which took place between 2004 and 2006, is the result of youth and lack of guidance, Ja Rule, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, explained during a court appearance in New Jersey yesterday. "I was a young man who made a lot of money. I didn't know how to deal with these finances, and I didn't have people to guide me," he said.
Luckily, most of this new sentence could be served at the same time as his weapon-possession stint thanks to a ruling by U.S. Magistrate Patty Shwartz, but Rule will still be expected to pay the $1.1 million in back taxes that he owes the IRS.
Tax evasion seems to be the Achilles' heel of many celebs, including Wesley Snipes who was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to pay taxes on some $13 million he made between 1999 and 2001; "American Idol" Ruben Studdard, whose failure to pay between 2003 and 2005, the year he won the TV contest, resulted in property liens; and Dionne Warwick whose 11-year default has earned her the title of California's third-biggest tax debt, according to ABC News.
Comments: (24)
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By: Leroy on 7/19/2011 1:40PM
We lock up these guys for tax evasion, but the mega corporations get to store billions of dollars off shore and pay little to no tax on any of it, to really top it off we give companies like GE and ExxonMobil refund checks. Yes this is the correct way to uphold the tax code.
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By: Escalonz on 7/19/2011 2:41PM
Ironic as hell that Jollywood and the entertainment industry is so liberal but resent paying their so called progressive tax as conceived by liberals. If Obama and the Democrats get their way by getting more taxes on the rich, these devoted democratic entertainers will hardly be left with much more than a very small percentage of profit for their talented selves. Yay progressive, onward and downward.......... Democrats!
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By: Ghetto on 7/19/2011 3:50PM
Do you have any facts or statistics to back up your claims of storing "billions of dollars off shore...etc"? I get the feeling that your just talking out your ass, spitting up snippets of whatever you saw on TV or heard your friends talking about.
Sorta funny, Leroy, that you'd try to excuse a rapper for committing a crime too...
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By: Shelly Crawford on 7/19/2011 4:02PM
Tim Gaitner owed income taxes,and Charles Rangel and the list goes on just for politicians,but let a regular person or a celebrity that is not contributing to a political cause and he goes to jail,while the politician is forgiven and lets him pay his back taxes and he can go on with life,such as TIM GAITNER our IRS Boss.ALL Politicians are crooked , they go in office with small bank accounts and they owe taxes ,they are millionaires in a few years.look at all there perks plus penion regardless of time serveed with the Government,but they want to take away the benefits of us retiree veterans,case in point,the president thinks we should pay our own medical bill because we are a all volunteer force and we knew going in .He is the worst President since George Washington and that says a lot.
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By: Ghetto on 7/19/2011 4:10PM
That might all be well and true, Shelly...but LeRoy(or however he wishes to spell his name) was referencing "mega corporations",not individual persons.
And I like how brought into the debate all sorts of "facts" about military benefits, pensions, politicians, etc. That's what's known as a straw-man argument. It sounds nice but has no bearing whatsoever on the issue at hand. Try again.
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By: ejkgolf69 on 7/19/2011 2:24PM
Why give him a break on the tax cheating. Keep the crapper in jail.
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By: kickedbackandrelaxed on 7/19/2011 2:41PM
what a bunch of BS...he didnt have guidance?? bunch a croc if he was making it big and plenty of money then he had people there to guide him or else he wouldn't have made it as far as he did...no suprise more and more celebrities think they donot have to pay their taxes like the ordinary do..if you haven't already then GROW UP Ja Rule!!!!!
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By: Jon on 7/19/2011 3:16PM
If You Tea Baggers were as concerned with your leaders attempts to force the country into default for the first time in U.S History,as you all are a Rapper paying taxes we would not be in this position.
Typical Of Tea Baggers to wanna focus more on actors and Rappers than on ELECTED OFFICIALS and what they are doing..JaRule is not hurting my life in any way shape or form..Tea Baggers In Congress are.
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By: Cory on 7/23/2011 12:50PM
The only person with a pea-sized brain is you. Go somewhere and die you racist prick.
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By: Mrs. Hanlin on 7/19/2011 2:53PM
HE GOT A BAD RAP.............
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