Celeb Tax Deadbeats: How much do Martin Scorsese, Pam Anderson, Nic Cage owe?

The April 15 income tax filing deadline is fast approaching. It hurts everyone’s wallet to pay taxes. Although anyone with a job should be counting their blessings in these difficult economic times. We so often hear that the rich get off with paying less taxes then the average person, due to special tax breaks, personal charities, off shore accounts, creative book keeping, etc, etc.

Grumble, grumble, life isn’t fair, etc, etc.

So why do some of the biggest Hollywood celebrities —  Pamela Anderson, Wesley Snipes,  Al Pacino, Martin Scorsese and Marc Anthony –owe millions in back taxes? Seriously, how stupid are these people?

Here — according to TaxMasters — are the top celebrity tax offenders for  past year:

Al Pacino: The legendary actor has a $188,283.50 lien from the IRS issued for back taxes from 2009 and 2008. Ironically, he got raves for his portrayal of the vengeful Jewish moneylender Shylock in The Merchant of Venice on Broadway in 2010. Let’s hope that paycheck helped reduce Pacino’s tax debt.

Nicolas Cage: Owes the IRS $14 million. This explains Drive Angry 3D. Hey, can’t Nic write off his hairpieces? I mean, surely he can’t wear his furry forest friends in real life.

Wesley Snipes: Found guilty on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file a tax return, began serving a three-year sentence in federal prison in 2010.

JaRule: Pleaded guilty in a New Jersey Federal Court to two counts of tax evasion, each carrying a maximum one-year sentence.

The Osbournes: Owe back taxes of $718,948 from 2008 and $1.024 million from 2009. Tax lien filed in 2011. We presume they are talking about Sharon and Ozzie. But maybe not. Maybe it’s the whole darn family.

Martin Scorsese: IRS is demanding $2.85 million in back taxes from the acclaimed director. Does this explain Boardwalk Empire?

Marc Anthony: $3.4 million tax lien filed in 2010. Don’t he and Jennifer Lopez file a joint return? Can’t she lend him some bucks to pay this off? Lopez makes over $20 million a year and Anthony pulls in around $11 mill. Plus they’re also investors in the NFL’s Miami Dolphins

Jaime Pressly: Three separate tax liens filed totaling more than $637,000. The Something About Earl star was arrested on suspicion of DUI on Jan 7. But things are looking up. She’ll reportedly star in I Hate My Teenage Daughter, a new Fox pilot. If it gets picked up, she should be able to pay off Uncle Sam.

Pamela Anderson: Owes $493,000 in personal income tax. No wonder Pam recently appeared at the Las Vegas Mob Experience at the Tropicana.  But surely her DWTS paycheck helped pay some of this off.
Shannen Doherty: Issued a $44,064.58 tax lien by the state of California.

Does the IRS pay more attention to celebrity returns? Or do these celebrities hire really incompetent accountants? What’s your theory?

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PhPhotos: WireImage