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Sony deal could help singer Lauryn Hill pay delinquent tax bill

April 25, 2013

Being a Grammy winning, critically acclaimed, platinum record selling singer-songwriter can sure come in handy if you're in tax trouble.


Lauryn Hill performing in Sao Paulo Brazil in 2007 photo by Daigo Oliva via WikimediaJust ask Lauryn Hill.

The former front-woman for the Fugees and successful solo artist (and record producer and actress) has been under Internal Revenue Service scrutiny for failing to file federal tax returns for tax years 2005, 2006 and 2007. During those years, said the IRS, she earned $1.8 million.

Last June, Hill pled guilty to the three federal tax charges. Each carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000
fine.

At a sentencing hearing on Monday, April 22, Hill was given two more weeks to come up with the $554,000 in retribution that the court has ordered her to pay. So far, according to her attorney, Hill has repaid $50,000.

It looked like she'd have to pay with money she borrowed against two of her homes. But now she has some outside help in making up the $504,000 difference she still owes.

During the hearing, prosecutors revealed that Hill had
signed a new deal with Sony, $1 million for recording five new songs. Sweet.

Of course, Hill won't pocket $1 million, since she'll have to pay taxes on these new earnings.

But Hill reportedly will get more money from the record company if she produces a full album's
worth of music.

And that extra income could come in handy since Hill still faces a civil tax liability of almost $1 million from the delinquent federal taxes, interest, penalties and, according to NJ.com, unpaid state taxes.

As for possible incarceration, Hill's attorneys are hoping that her repayment of the retribution assessment early next month will help in their quest to have her placed on probation instead of in prison.


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TAX-SAVVY WAYS 
TO WRAP UP 2026

It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill. 

You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.

Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings. 

Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year. 

So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

Credits/Deductions
Disasters
Family
Filing and Paying Taxes
Politics/Laws
Refunds
State Taxes
Tax Brackets/Inflation
Tax Tips
Comments
  • Jacqueline J. Young
    13 years ago Reply

    I love this girl and her music, how come she has failed to file taxes for those moments when she has lots of money to pay it for? Sad news but hopefully she can be able to pull it off through the help of Sony. By the way, I included Sony as part of the asset listing I trade ioption review ioptionsreview.com which is part of my small investment, so I was hoping Lauryn Hill could be successful with this endeavor.

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