Multimillionaire Tax Cheat Willie Nelson: 'Those at the Top Get Their Share at the Expense of the 99 Percent'
Count millionaire country singer and tax cheat Willie Nelson among the growing list of extremely wealthy entertainers supporting the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Where better to make his feelings known than at the perilously liberal Huffington Post Saturday:
Thanks to the Occupy Wall Street movement, there's a deeper understanding about the power that corporations wield over the great majority of us. It's not just in the financial sector, but in all facets of our lives. The disparity between the top 1 percent and everyone else has been laid bare -- there's no more denying that those at the top get their share at the expense of the 99 percent. Lobbyists, loopholes, tax breaks... how can ordinary folks expect a fair shake?
How can ordinary folks expect a fair shake?
Maybe Nelson ought to look in the mirror as he was raised by his grandparents during the Depression and had to pick cotton at a very young age.
Now he's worth $15 million.
Sound like he got a fair shake?
Of course, as the New York Times reported in 1991, Nelson made a lot of his money by not paying taxes:
Since Willie Nelson's "Who'll Buy My Memories? (The I.R.S. Tapes)" went on sale in June, it has sold only 160,000 copies. Under Mr. Nelson's unusual arrangement with the Government, the collection of 25 songs must sell at least four million copies if it is to erase the singer-songwriter's tax obligations.
"You got to be positive," Mr. Nelson said in an telephone interview last week. "It's not unheard of. I could sell three million albums. I've done it before." He hopes sales will improve when the collection is available in stores; it is sold now only through phone orders advertised mostly on late-night television.
When Mr. Nelson was served last year with a $32 million bill for delinquent taxes -- one of the largest ever presented to an individual -- it seemed unlikely that anyone, even the cowboy heroes of his country and western songs, could rescue him.
That bears repeating: "When Mr. Nelson was served last year with a $32 million bill for delinquent taxes..."
Who's he to point fingers about "the top [getting] their share at the expense of the 99 percent?"
Thanks to NBer StarAz for reminding me about Nelson's tax problems.
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Comments
If you're so worried...
Submitted by StarAZ on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 1:05pm.
Pay your taxes.
LOL, Star...that's exactly
Submitted by motherbelt on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 1:20pm.
LOL, Star...that's exactly what I was thinking!
Willie doesn't care HOW much taxes get raised, because he doesn't pay them!
You know, like Russell Simmons!
... and ...
Submitted by Newsbubba on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 2:02pm.
... John Kerry, and da Reverend Al, and Warren Buffett, and da Reverend jesse jackson, and half the democrat party!
Willie has an excuse. He is so rattle brained after all of his "self medication" that he can't remember who he is half the time, much less how much he might owe in taxes.
Like ...
Submitted by CO2Maker on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 2:06pm.
George Soros
I used Russell Simmons
Submitted by motherbelt on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 4:26pm.
I used Russell Simmons because he was down at the OWS gathering bragging that he doesn't pay taxes.
Paying taxes and paying higher taxes
Submitted by CO2Maker on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 2:27pm.
Some people need to be coerced into paying their lawful taxes. You know, Nelson, Soros, etc.
Some people plead to be coerced into paying higher taxes. You know, all the rich liberals who want their taxes to be raised but don't actually pay the Treasury more money voluntarily.
That's the big difference, and the very big problem with rich people who ask for higher tax rates to make them pay. They want coercive government to force them (and others) to pay. In Sorosland, people cannot be expected to do the right thing without the gummint making them do it under penalty of fines or imprisonment. People are not inherently good and benevolent, and even society doesn't improve people enough, in Sorosland. There, they need gummint to make people do the noble thing like pay more taxes, wear bicycle helmets, drive without texting, and close cover before striking.
Entrenchment - cannot be said enough
Submitted by Unsane on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 2:28pm.
The rich like Willie and Buffett want higher taxes to raise barriers to entry and therefore entrench their position.
"CONSUMED DEMOCRACY RETURNS A SOCIALIST REGIME" - Slayer, "Fictional Reality", from Divine Intervention (1994)
Hmmm, the IRS runs a gated community?
Submitted by CO2Maker on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 2:40pm.
Hadn't thought of this as a way of keeping the Walmart riff-raff out. The higher the rates of taxation, the longer it will take for a mid-level proletariat to ascend to the heights of, well, whatever heights Willie ascends to.
Think about it
Submitted by Unsane on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 3:41pm.
The limousine libs have NO PROBLEM paying the taxes...who would? Why, the Wal-mart riff-raff, who can be small business owners and middle-class (I so hate using terms like that) who in 20 years or so, after lotys of hard workl, dedication and saving, might be able to move into the neighborhoods the rich currently live in.
It is ALL about entrenchment.
"CONSUMED DEMOCRACY RETURNS A SOCIALIST REGIME" - Slayer, "Fictional Reality", from Divine Intervention (1994)
Pay Your Taxes
Submitted by wayne1954 on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 7:18pm.
I hate the OWS movement. HOWEVER, don't shit on Willie about his taxes. I was one of the IRS Appeals Officers who negotiated a settlement with Mr. Nelson. He was wasn't the snake in the woodpile. It was the Big Eight Accounting firm who advised him. The accounting firm he paid good money to help him.
Willie Nelson is not a tax cheat. Be careful who you accuse and of what. You're long on wind and short on substance. Mr. Nelson could have been worth close to a billion if it hadn't been for accounting crooks.
Then maybe this dope smoking tax cheat will cut the IRS a check
Submitted by Dave. on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 1:15pm.
...today.
Heh, not a chance.
And I don't know about the rest of you, but that American flag bandanna he is sporting in that photo offends me me for some reason - and I am not one prone to being easily offended.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
I'm with you, Dave. To me
Submitted by motherbelt on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 1:26pm.
I'm with you, Dave.
One would hope people would have more respect for the flag than to use it as a do-rag.
But then again, we're talking about Willie Nelson.
Am
Submitted by grammajane on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 5:02pm.
also with you Dave. As Laura Ingrahm once said"Shut up and sing"
Willie, lay off the weed.
Submitted by rbosque on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 1:12pm.
Willie, lay off the weed.
Unbelievable, CNN ranked
Submitted by Reaver on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 1:22pm.
Unbelievable, CNN ranked Nelson number three on their list of the top ten tax cheats.
3. Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson is the poster boy for tax evasion. In 1990, the IRS sent him a bill for $16.7 million dollars in back taxes. Faced with this rather large debt, Willie decided to try and pay the IRS back by releasing a double album entitled The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories? The IRS, ever helpful, sped up the process by selling nearly everything he owned.
Lucky for Willie, his friends purchased most of the items and returned them to Willie either free of charge or for a nominal fee. He managed to pay back the IRS in only three years.
“ -- there's no more denying that those at the top get their share at the expense of the 99 percent.”
Sounds like he doesn’t count himself among the one percent, start giving away your records and concert tickets then talk to me about the people at the top getting their share at the expense of the 99 percent.
Don't know your ass from a hole in the ground
Submitted by wayne1954 on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 7:37pm.
CNN doesn't know shit either. I personally worked on Mr. Nelson's case. I was an IRS Appeals Officer in Dallas, TX. He's not a tax cheat; never was. I'm very conservative but come on. When right wingers start quoting CNN, there's a problem.
Mark Twain
Submitted by wayne1954 on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 7:39pm.
When you don't bother to find out, you're uniformed and misinformed. Either way you're an ass
This post is the "howler of
Submitted by motherbelt on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 1:23pm.
This post is the "howler of the day," right??
Willie Nelson became one of the 1%
Submitted by zenman1661 on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 1:30pm.
by providing something the 99% wanted to pay for. Nobody was forced to buy his records or go to his concerts. Its called Capitalism.
Willy Nelson in the top 1%?
Submitted by buttercup815 on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 3:03pm.
Seiously? But two points..
1) He may be a wealthly musician, but he does not have the clout to have entire industries moved overseas..as the true 1% have.
2) The IRS already owns his a$$.
He's made alot of money
Submitted by zenman1661 on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 5:56pm.
throughout his long career. Do you think it all went up in smoke....Well...then again, maybe it did.
Ingrate
Submitted by Unsane on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 5:32pm.
buttercup, I can't blame businesses for going overseas. They do so, in large part, do to hate-filled ingrates like you.
Businesses in the United States do not exist as jobs programs. I suggest if you want to keep businesses hiring in this country, you and your Socialist ilk need to learn to stop bossing and ordering them around, and constantly poking your finger in their chests, barking orders at them the entire time. Oh, and stop crapping on them at every opportunity.
Atlas IS shrugging and we aren't the only game in town. Truth be told, we never have been the only game in town.
"CONSUMED DEMOCRACY RETURNS A SOCIALIST REGIME" - Slayer, "Fictional Reality", from Divine Intervention (1994)
Willie whining to be an entrenched aristocrat
Submitted by Unsane on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 2:00pm.
Translation (as with all rich people who support the Marxists in "Occupy"): "Please entrench me, I want to be an aristocrat and want to prevent anyone from reaching my position."
Yeah, and use the money you burn on the hippie lettuce to pay your freaking taxes.
"CONSUMED DEMOCRACY RETURNS A SOCIALIST REGIME" - Slayer, "Fictional Reality", from Divine Intervention (1994)
Willie as the common man rebel...
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 2:07pm.
Reminds me of the fad a few years ago when lots of lawyers, Wall Streeters and corporate executives put on their leathers for the weekend and became Harley Ridin' bikers.
Willie's big hits
Submitted by CO2Maker on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 2:20pm.
1. You picked a fine time to tax me, Lucille
2. On the cheat again
3. Mammas, don't let your babies grow up to be taxpayers
4. To all the bills I've ducked before
5. Taxes on my mind
6. Help me make it through April 15
Pay your taxes, get a haircut, shower and quit whining Willie!
Submitted by drsamherman on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 2:32pm.
So the government should raise taxes on a malingering piece of hypocritical trash who won't pay them anyways? Yeah, sure, Willie...that will really help the economy. You can't even be bothered to pick up a checkbook, a bar of soap or a razor and you are telling the rest of society how to live and think? Stick to writing and singing, Willie, because you suck at everything else in life.
eath to willie
Submitted by Kuso Jiji on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 2:36pm.
you lost your right to weigh in on this argument when you cheated on your own taxes. shut the hell up and quit bogarting that joint.
for those who are strongly motivated
Submitted by oldfart on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 3:42pm.
Since those with extreme wealth seem so willing to force the rest of us 'common folk' to give up our money that we really work for, I would suggest that they lead by example and donate 10% of their wealth as follows:
How do you make a contribution to reduce the debt?
There are two ways for you to make a contribution to reduce the debt:
•You can make a contribution online either by credit card, checking or savings account at Pay.gov
•You can write a check payable to the Bureau of the Public Debt, and in the memo section, notate that it's a Gift to reduce the Debt Held by the Public. Mail your check to:
Attn Dept G
Bureau of the Public Debt
P. O. Box 2188
Parkersburg, WV 26106-2188
Since us 'common folk' are too stupid to think for ourselves I suggest that the Willie Nelson and Michael Moore types (including all the chattering classes) lead by example.
Willie...
Submitted by nuclearnavymom on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 5:14pm.
Step away from the bong man.
Mama told ya drugs would hurt ya.
Submitted by wizardjr on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 7:48pm.
Now here's the proof.
How does someone that is
Submitted by Matt on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 8:03pm.
How does someone that is worth 15 million owe 32 million in taxes?
Apparantly you've never had
Submitted by killa37 on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 2:53am.
Apparantly you've never had the extreme displeasure of seeing the IRS's 'penalty and interest' ponzi scheme................
Pathetic
Submitted by red-sox-rudy on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 8:46pm.
He had a huge delinquent tax bill because he had a business manager that was screwing him over and stealing from him. The tendency here to say anything about anyone just because they have a different view on politics is beyond pathetic. Pathetic, but not all that surprising.
I love Willie's music. But he screwed himself.
Submitted by acaiguana on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 8:56pm.
Trying to excuse Nelson his tax problem as painting him the victim is obscene.
He needs to grow up. And pay his tax bill.
And if he ends up part of the 99% for a while, then so be it.
ACA
...
Quoted from: 'Acaiguana notes from the Underground' (Soon to be at theaters near you)
Rude rudy---
Submitted by matthewdean on Sat, 12/17/2011 - 9:00pm.
another attempt, I see, by a liberal to attribute to conservatives the actions of liberals.
Lame, but not all that surprising.
MD
And I suppose....
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 11:06am.
And I suppose you're going to say that Nelson's signature was never on any of the tax forms?
Based on that logic, John Corzine can claim that he had no clue what was going on at MF Global. Just because he was the CEO, that doesn't mean that he had any clue what all the managers were doing.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Ummmm....
Submitted by loxmyth on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 1:46pm.
....well.....yes. That was exactly what he did, isn't it? Not saying it's right, just that this was, indeed, the logic used.
He never signed the checks ether.
Submitted by CobraMan on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 2:08pm.
"And I suppose you're going to say that Nelson's signature was never on any of the tax forms?"
Willie's signature were never on any of the checks he received from the sales of his records, ether, I guess. How could he know how much money he was making? Maybe those checks, totaling up to several million dollars, were signed by auto-pen?
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
What about his accountants?
Submitted by CobraMan on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 2:05pm.
"He had a huge delinquent tax bill because he had a business manager that was screwing him over and stealing from him."
If the business manager was stealing from him, it's reasonable to expect Willie's own tax accountants to "discover' that theft long before the tax forms were filed. Or are Willie's tax accountants part of the conspiracy?
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Look who's talking
Submitted by Unsane on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 5:35pm.
Please. This comment from someone who doubtless goes on a rampage when he encounters one with differing political viewpoints.
I never will understand the Leftist obsession with trying to absolve people from accountability and personal responsibility.
"CONSUMED DEMOCRACY RETURNS A SOCIALIST REGIME" - Slayer, "Fictional Reality", from Divine Intervention (1994)
The law holds Willie responsible, not his hired guns.
Submitted by drsamherman on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 6:13pm.
Ultimately, he is responsible for seeing that his taxes were properly paid even if his hired attorneys, accountants, business managers, agents and others failed to do it. It is called failure to exercise proper supervision, and that principle of law has been around as long as human history. If he signed documents allowing others to act in his name but did not exercise any internal control over their actions on his behalf, he is just as culpable as they are for failing to act properly in a fiduciary capacity. Having known several physicians who were put in similar situations by putting too much faith in others, their only recourse according to the IRS was to pay the taxes and penalties and then to go after the accountants and attorneys in a civil court and/or criminal proceedings including actions against their licenses to practice.
He is to blame, Rudy, whether you have the stones to admit it or not.
Poor Willllwee
Submitted by gfrrman on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 12:39am.
...."just won't go home".....
...."but you can't push Willlwee-'round"(Bay City Rollers aka early 70's---so?)
...."little-Willlwee(Willy)-Willlwee won't go home"!!!!!! Ok, everbody now......poor little Willie....wah, wah,
won't pay his taxes. This guy has been stoned for as long as I have ever heard of him in my 40?+( :~> ) years!!
Aaaaaaaaaaand he's been tax delinquent for as long as the early 80's.
Smoke another ONE Cheechie !!!......................
....and I agree about the bandana.
g
He can contribute to the DNC . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 3:18am.
. . . and buy a pardon from Obama.
i get this picture in my mind...
Submitted by c5then on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 10:48am.
Of a bunch of rich liberals trying to direct the mass of crocodiles to others floating down the river in an attempt to postpone the day that they themselves are eaten.
P.S. there is a significant difference between those earning over $1 million a year in annual income, and those who's net worth is higher than $1 million. But more importantly, the government shouldn't care and treat all the same.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
That's a good image
Submitted by CO2Maker on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 3:41pm.
"Look! Over there. That's a big, plump businessman! AND a Republican!"
a liberal's liberal
Submitted by Rousse on Sun, 12/18/2011 - 7:27pm.
Willie Nelson is a liberal's liberal. When Texas Democrats fled the state instead of staying in Austin and doing their job (they didn't want to vote on pending legislation that they didn't like), good old boy Willie sent them cases of whisky and cheered their abdication of duty. Willie abdicated on his responsibilities when he declared bankruptcy. But hey, it's not his fault---he's just a good old boy singing and smokin' and havin' fun.