US icon Beyonce has filed a petition contesting a $2.7m (est. R49.6 million) tax claim from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Beyonce disputes R50m IRS tax bill: Here’s what we know
According to a Notice of Deficiency obtained by Forbes, Beyoncé owes $805 850 (est. R14.8 million) for 2018 and $1 442 747 (est. R26.5 million) for 2019, in addition to $449 719.40 (est. R8.27 million) in penalties for the two-year period.
The singer’s team argues that the IRS ignored millions of dollars in charitable donations during the years in question, including an $868 766 (est. R15.9 million) contribution to an undisclosed charity in 2018.
Beyoncé has requested that any tax penalties she incurs be waived, given her “reasonable and good faith” conduct.
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Beyoncé’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, stated that they are working with the IRS to resolve the matter.
The singer is due to begin her Renaissance World Tour in Stockholm next month, before performing in the United States from July to September 2023.
The tour, which consists of 41 shows, is projected to earn over $275m (est. R5.06 billion), potentially becoming Beyoncé’s fourth tour to exceed $200m in earnings.
Forbes ranked Beyoncé at number 61 on its list of highest-earning women in the US last year, with a reported net worth of $450m (est. R8.2 billion).
The musician has donated significant sums to charity throughout her career, including $6m to fund mental health services in her hometown of Houston, Texas.
Beyoncé’s petition follows a spate of high-profile tax cases involving celebrities. Singer Mary J Blige was sued by the IRS for over $1m in unpaid taxes in 2018, while actor Wesley Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison in 2010 for tax evasion.
In recent years, the IRS has also pursued several large corporations for unpaid taxes, including Apple, which was ordered to pay a record $14.5bn in back taxes to the European Union in 2016.
