R. KELLY OWES NEARLY $5 MILLION IN BACK TAXES

Grammy Award winning R&B star, R Kelly, 44, is another name just added to the roster of celebrities who have failed to pay their income taxes, joining the likes of Dennis Rodman and most recently Lauryn Hill. Kelly reportedly owes more than $4.8 million in taxes dating back to 2005. According to MTV, the breakdown of the alleged non-payments includes: $1,472,366.77 (2005), $710,520.51 (2006), $376,180.11 (2007), $1,122,694.90 (2008), $173,815.18 (2009) and $992,495.24 (2010). The total bill comes to $4,848,072.71.

This isn’t Kelly’s first time in trouble with the law. Kelly was acquitted on child pornography charges in 2008. Last summer, we found out that Kelly had failed to make mortgage payments on his Chicago-area mansion for more than one year. This resulted in him being slapped with a $2.9 million foreclosure suit. The 11,000-square-foot Olympia Fields home went on the market in December with an asking price of $1.595 million.

Last July, the R&B star was rushed to the hospital with throat pain and had to undergo emergency surgery. Kelly’s next album titled ‘Write Me Back’, which will be his 11th studio release, comes out on June 26, 2012. Kelly will also put out his memoirs Soula Coaster: The Diary Of Me in the summer and is also working on his acclaimed ‘hip-hopera’ Trapped In The Closet, which he says he has written 32 new chapters for. He has also said that he is looking for investors to help fund recording for this project.

Furthermore, Kelly will embark a Love Letter Cruise in October this year. He will take off on the five-day Caribbean jaunt next year, with tickets ranging in price from $999 to $2,999. The cruise will include onboard entertainment set to include gigs, salsa lessons and fashion shows.

While Kelly did pay $2.6 million in back taxes in 2008 and another $1 million last year, the state records he still owes more than $4.8 million. A rep for Kelly states that Kelly is in the process of cooperating with the Internal Revenue Service to get his name cleared of any charges and get everything squared away.

Abajian Law assists taxpayers in determining whether they will qualify for an offer in compromise (OIC) and if not, what their available options are. Vic Abajian, a Los Angeles Tax Attorney, is a former IRS attorney and was in charge of approving or rejecting offers in compromise (OIC) while working for the IRS. His insider knowledge is invaluable to clients. To learn more about your options, please contact Abajian Law for a consultation.