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Do you owe back taxes? If so, realize that you're not alone. Even the world's richest and most popular people owe back taxes, too. And the IRS will get their money, regardless of who you are. Just ask Jennifer Lopez.

Every month I choose a very special Client of the Month. It's my way of acknowledging good friends and saying "thanks" to those who support me and my business with referrals, word of mouth and repeat business.

On February 27, 2008, in Madison, Wis., Sabi Atteyih was sentenced to 12 months plus one day in prison, to be followed by a three year term of supervised release for income tax evasion.  On January 2, 2008, Atteyih pleaded guilty to evading his income taxes for 2002.

The IRS is the most powerful collection agency in the U.S. No other institution has the legal power to seize your property, garnish your wages, help itself to your bank account, place a tax lien on your property and/or throw you in jail...just to get you to pay a debt.

Penalties and interest add up by the day if you haven't paid the IRS what you owe them. And they add up big-time if you haven't filed at all. Every day that you put off taking care of your IRS problem only makes it worse.  Did You File and Not Pay? If you did, there's interest being compounded daily on what you owe, which is the quarterly federal short-term tax rate, plus 3%. As of this writing, the IRS is charging 4% per year.

The Internal Revenue Service recently released information that government employees on Capitol Hill owe overdue taxes worth $9.3 million, as part of the per agency IRS debt breakdown. It is not clear whether there are some Congress members guilty of not properly paying their taxes, as the agency refused to specify those involved.

The IRS can take 15% of your Social Security payments to satisfy your tax debt. Prior to 1996, there was a $750/month "off limits" amount that had to be left for the Social Security recipient.

On April 20, 2009, in St. Paul, Minn., Kara Kristine Sommer, of Burnsville, Minn., was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release for failing to pay the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) payroll taxes from employees of a construction business.

When the IRS prosecutes, tax evasion is not always the only charge (if it's charged at all). In fact, there are cases where the person who has been found guilty of one crime may also be charged with violating other laws.

Every month I choose a very special Client of the Month. It's my way of acknowledging good friends and saying "thanks" to those who support me and my business with referrals, word of mouth and repeat business.