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Ludacris Should Be Giving Ving Rhames Tax Advice

In today’s celebrity tax scofflaw du jour, we learn that Ving “Why do people always have to bring up that scene in Pulp Fiction” Rhames owes the IRS over $800k from two liens, both filed by the IRS in Los Angeles.

Rhames has had trubs in the past, having liens filed against him last May as well.

It seems to that California, being in the fiscal trouble that’s it in, really needs to call on its other celebrity residents to hold some sort of Haiti-esque fundraiser for some of their fellow celebs.


Sure, it might not fix all the state’s budget problems but at least we could admire our celebrities for being financially responsible pillars of the community rather than pillars of the community when there’s an international crisis. Plus, maybe California wouldn’t have to fire more teachers.

In semi-related news, you will never, ever, EVER hear about Ludacris owing the IRS a damn thing. Not now, not ever.

“I pay more in taxes than most people would ever imagine. I guarantee you, I’m looking dead in the camera, you will never hear about Ludacris owing the damn IRS no damn money.”

Okay, financial celebrities f-ups, get on the horn and find out what the great financial mind-cum-rapper/actor of Ludacris has in store for you. Things haven’t worked out so far, so it can’t hurt to see what the man has to say.

Ving Rhames far from OK with Uncle Sam [Tax Watchdog]

Tax Deadbeat of the Day: Jose Canseco

Try to make sense of this: J Can made $45 million playing baseball, “wrote” two books that essentially ruined the juicing party in MLB, has been on countless reality shows, tried his hand at mixed martial arts and he can’t scrape together $320,000 for the IRS and the state of California?

Okay, can’t undo what’s done and unfortunately, Canseco has limited options. He can’t really call McGwire, Bonds, A-Rod, Jason Giambi for a loan. That’s just awkward, plus he doesn’t strike us as the type of guy who would pay you back if he could.


If the MMA doesn’t work out, then we’re thinking he’s still got plenty of options:

• Working outside an Abercrombie & Fitch

• Bouncer on a porn movie set

• KPMG Chairman

• Jersey Shore cameos

Other possibilities? Sure they’d have to garnish his wages but dude needs to get the ball rolling.

Slugger Jose Canseco strikes out with tax agencies [Tax Watchdog]

Be Prepared for a New Flood of GOP ‘IRS Agents Will Be Invading Your Homes’ Rhetoric

President Barack Obama proposed increasing the budget for the Internal Revenue Service by 9.4 percent to hire more than 5,000 new employees, most of whom would pursue tax cheats. The president’s fiscal 2012 budget released today sets funding for the tax-collection agency at $13.3 billion, an increase of $1.1 billion from 2010, the last time a full appropriation was made for the IRS. Almost half of the increase, or $460 million, would support the agency’s tax-enforcement programs. Under the plan, the IRS would focus on fighting tax evasion through the use of offshore accounts and cheating by corporate and high-wealth taxpayers. It also would seek out fraudulent tax preparers. [Bloomberg]