Over the years, we've seen plenty of professional athletes get into trouble for not paying their taxes. From Pete Rose to Lawrence Taylor to Lionel Messi, the list of sports-related tax delinquents is, unfortunately, long. So we weren't shocked when we heard that former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress was indicted today for failing to pay $47,903 in taxes to the state of New Jersey in 2013. But we were kind of surprised with the details surrounding his indictment.
According to The Times of Trenton, Burress—the same guy who got arrested in 2008 for, well, you know—actually filed his income tax returns electronically back in 2013. So unlike most athletes, he didn't simply skip out on paying his taxes altogether. But the electronic payment that he made on his tax bill was never received. And when the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services tried to get in touch with him repeatedly, he reportedly ignored their requests and never paid up.
As a result, Burress is now facing charges of issuing a bad check or electronic funds transfer and failing to pay state tax. He could face up to five years in jail on those charges and pay upwards of $15,000 in fines. So this should serve as yet another reminder for all of the pro athletes out there: Pay your taxes!
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[via The Times of Trenton]
