Tuesday, 7 May 2013

Lauryn Hill has been sentenced to three months in prison for failing to pay tax


FILE - This April 15, 2011 file photo shows singer Lauryn Hill performing during the 12th Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Hill is facing sentencing Monday, May 6, 2013 in New Jersey on federal tax charges. Hill pleaded guilty last year to not paying federal taxes on $1.8 million earned from 2005 to 2007. A judge two weeks ago said Hill had paid only about $50,000 of more than $500,000 she owes. Hill said she has signed a recording contract with Sony that will help her pay her taxes. Citing the legal deadline, she made a song available on iTunes over the weekend. She faces up to a year in prison on each of three counts. Her attorney is seeking probation for her. (AP Photo/Spencer Weiner, file)
Grammy-winning singer Lauryn Hill has been sentenced to three months in prison for failing to pay about $1 million in taxes over the past decade. Although she pleaded guilty last year to failing to pay taxes on more than $1.8 million earned from 2005 to 2007.  The sentencing also took into account unpaid state and federal taxes in 2008 and 2009 that brought the total earnings to about $2.3 million.
Despite having paid more than $900,000 in the past several days, Hill still owes interest and penalties, the U.S. attorney's office said.


In addition to serving three months in prison, Hill must pay a $60,000 fine. After she is released from prison, she will be under parole supervision for a year, the first three months of which will be spent under home confinement.
The 37-year-old South Orange resident had faced a maximum sentence of one year each on three counts of failing to file taxes. Her attorney had sought probation, arguing that Hill's charitable works, her family circumstances and the fact she paid back the taxes she owed should merit consideration.
Hill is to report to prison by July 8. It's not clear where she'll serve her sentence. She didn't comment after the sentencing. She said in a recent post online that she has signed a recording contract with Sony.
"She is looking forward to putting her case behind her and getting back to her music and creating again," attorney Nathan Hochman said.

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