Nothing Is Certain Except Death, Taxes And Willie Nelson – Today In Country Music History [VIDEO]

1990  Nothing Is Certain Except Death, Taxes And Willie

The Internal Revenue Service places liens totalling $16.7 million on Willie Nelson's property to guarantee that he pays $6.5 million in back taxes.

The IRS originally claimed Nelson owed $32 million. His lawyer, Jay Goldberg, negotiated the sum to be lowered to $16 million. Goldberg then renegotiated a settlement in which Nelson would pay $6 million, although Nelson did not comply with the agreement.

Nelson would later releas The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories? as a double album, with all profits destined for the IRS. Many of his assets were auctioned and purchased by friends, who donated or rented his possessions to him for a nominal fee. Nelson would then sue Price Waterhouse, his accounting and investment  firm, contending that they put his money in illegal tax shelters. The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount and Nelson cleared his debts in 1993.