Pity The Celebrity Taxpayer

Forbes reports:

These days, the Internal Revenue Service is shining its unwanted spotlight on some marquee celebrities.

National Treasure star Nicolas Cage is contesting the government's claim that he improperly wrote off $3.3 million in personal expenses. In April, a federal district court sentenced "tax protester" Wesley Snipes to three years for failing to pay taxes on $13.9 million in income from 1999 to 2001.

Is the IRS singling out celebrities? Not exactly, but it is targeting more high-earners as part of an effort to close the $290 billion "tax gap" between what it's owed and what it collects (that number comes from a three-year IRS study of 2001 returns).

In 2007, audits of people who earned more than $1 million increased 84%. And last October, the government launched a program to get foreign golfers, tennis players and musicians to pay taxes on their U.S. tournament winnings and music sales.

Of course, celebrities are subject to the same tax laws as everyone else, but their high visibility makes them valuable targets.

An article well worth your time.