Just one day prior to her scheduled sentencing date, Grammy-winning recording artist Lauryn Hill has paid $900,000 to the IRS to cover her outstanding taxes and penalties. On Monday, May 6th, Hill is due in U.S. District Court in Newark, New Jersey for sentencing on three charges that she failed to file tax returns on more than $1.8 million between 2005 and 2007. Her attorney has said that the final sentence is expected to be adjusted based on her repayment of the money.
“Ms. Hill has not only now paid her taxes prior to sentencing, which are part of her criminal restitution but has additionally paid her federal and state personal taxes for the entire period under examination through 2009,” her attorney, Nathan Hochman, stated in an email.
Despite her recent signing with Sony, Hill’s attorney revealed that the former Fugee paid her current debt with money from a combination of sources; Hill allegedly was granted a loan secured by two pieces of real estate. Hochman claimed that the repayment did not include funds from any new record sales.
Hill reportedly owed $504,000 in federal back taxes, along with state taxes and penalties that brought the estimated total over $900,000.
As part of her new deal with Sony, Hill released the new song “Neurotic Society” to ITunes over the weekend. She (somewhat begrudgingly) debuted the track and announced it via her Tumblr page:
Here is a link to a piece that I was ‘required’ to release immediately, by virtue of the impending legal deadline. I love being able to reach people directly, but in an ideal scenario, I would not have to rush the release of new music… but the message is still there. In light of Wednesday’s tragic loss (of former label mate Chris Kelly), I am even more pressed to YELL this to a multitude that may not understand the cost of allowing today’s unhealthy paradigms to remain unchecked!
– MLH
Hit the click to see some responses to “Neurotic Society (Compulsory Mix)”
