Aretha Franklin’s estate has paid $3 million in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) since her death.
TMZ has obtained documents filed by the IRS, claiming that the late Queen of Soul – who died in August at the age of 76 – owes more than $6.3 million in back taxes from 2012 to 2018 and $1.5 million in penalties.
However, attorney David Bennett, who represents Aretha’s estate, has insisted that $3 million has been paid since her death and all of her tax returns have been filed.
He added that the IRS is auditing the estate and they are disputing some of the filings but that the estate in turn is questioning what the IRS refers to as "income".
Back in November, Aretha’s Detroit mansion – which she bought in 1993 but almost lost it in 2008 due to unpaid property taxes totalling almost $20,000 – was sold for $300,000.
Meanwhile, it was revealed after her death that the ‘I Say a Little Prayer’ hitmaker hadn’t left a will, meaning her four sons, Clarence, 63, Edward, 61, Ted, 54, and Kecalf, 48, may have to wait years to find out how much of their mother’s estate they’re entitled to.
Don Wilson – a lawyer based in Los Angeles who worked for Aretha for 30 years – was previously quoted as saying: "I tried to convince her that she should do not just a will but a trust while she was still alive.
"She never told me, ‘No, I don’t want to do one.’ She understood the need. It just didn’t seem to be something she got around to."
Mr. Wilson added: "She was a private person."
Aretha owned her estate and maintained ownership of the songs she wrote – except her most popular singles like ‘Respect’.
Aretha Franklin’s estate pays 3m in back taxes
