The IRS has come looking for Courtney Love again…
The former star, actress, and widow of Nirvana singer, Kurt Cobain, is used to being on Uncle Sam’s bad side. Starting from her early days as a grunge rock star, Love’s many infractions include drug abuse, assault, failing to make court appearances, and one public outburst that led to her being banned from Virgin Airlines by founder Richard Branson. Between all these wild episodes, Love has also clashed with the IRS over unpaid taxes on three separate occasions.
While the media doesn’t go into a frenzy over tax liens like they do drunken bar fights, the amount Love owed would get anyone to sit up and pay attention. A tax lien from early 2018 indicates Love owes the IRS over $568,000 in unpaid taxes from 2016. This came just three months after Love paid around $320,000 for unpaid 2012 taxes, and less than two years after she handed the IRS $266,000 for taxes she failed to pay for 2009 and 2011.
“I know that’s a lifetime of money to most people, but I’m a big girl,” she explained. “It’s rock ‘n’ roll, it’s Nirvana money, I had to let it go. I make enough to live on I’m financially solvent, I focus on what I make now.”
Love sounds optimistic, but at this point, the IRS probably has her on speed dial. Hopefully Love will understand that it doesn’t matter how much money you make – if you fail to pay your taxes, you will end up in a world of hurt.
About the Author
Gregory McCauley Jr., Esq.
Tax Attorney · Villanova University School of Law · Admitted in Delaware, New Jersey, United States Tax Court
Gregory McCauley Jr. is an experienced tax attorney who has personally represented more than 1,000 clients in matters ranging from civil tax controversy and IRS examinations to criminal tax defense, U.S. Tax Court litigation, and complex business disputes. His practice is built on a foundation his c...
