Celebrity Tax Scofflaws in California Announced

from www.latimes.com

California Local News

April L. Brown / Associated Press
The comedian and actor Sinbad, whose last name is Adkins, resides in Oak Park, Ill., and is listed as owing $2,138,592 in personal income taxes to the state.
California tax scofflaws include O.J., Sinbad
April L. Brown / Associated Press
The comedian and actor Sinbad, whose last name is Adkins, resides in Oak Park, Ill., and is listed as owing $2,138,592 in personal income taxes to the state.
The state releases a list of 224 people who owe money. The goal is to shame people into paying up.
By Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 12:36 PM PDT, October 17, 2007
SACRAMENTO -- Tapping into the fear of public humiliation to get Californians to pay up on delinquent state income taxes, the state has released a list of California's 224 worst scofflaws, including celebrities Dionne Warwick, O.J. Simpson and comedian Sinbad.The list was originally 250 people. But just the threat of their names going on a public website convinced 26 of the biggest tax scofflaws to agree to settle their bills, bringing in about $300,000 in payments so far, according to State Controller John Chiang.
Related
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California's official list of the top 250 delinquent taxpayers
"Unfortunately these 250 people have put themselves above the 14 million people who have done the right thing and paid their taxes," Chiang said today.Although a bill approved by the state Legislature compelled the list to be released publicly on the website of the state Franchise Tax Board, Chiang said he supports the action and believes it will be effective in cases in which tax liens and warning letters have failed."Certainly people don't want the public embarrassment of being on the list," the controller said. "I wouldn't want to be on a list with O.J. Simpson."The list says Orenthal Simpson of Miami, Fla., owes $1,435,484 in personal income taxes with a tax lien dating back to 1999.Simpson, the former professional football player and actor, left California for Florida after he was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife and her acquaintance.The list says that the state is owed $2,665,305 in personal income taxes by singer Dionne Warwick of South Orange, N.J., with the tax lien dating back to 1997.The comedian and actor Sinbad, whose last name is Adkins, resides in Oak Park, Ill., and is listed as owing $2,138,592 in personal income taxes to the state, with the tax lien dated from 1999.patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com