Fame, fortune and back taxes sometimes mix

WASHINGTON, April 14 (UPI) -- Fame and fortune in the United States offer no immunity to tax problems, various court documents show.

On the eve of the government's April 15 personal auditing deadline, some of the nation's celebrities owe state and federal tax bills that run into millions of dollars, USA Today reported Monday.

Dionne Warwick is $2.7 million behind on her California state taxes and the Internal Revenue Service has placed liens of more than $1 million against singer, who maintains a busy television and concert career, the newspaper reported.

The IRS has filed a $1.5 million lien against Fox News analyst and former presidential adviser Dick Morris, who also owes Connecticut $452,367.

And records show O.J. Simpson owes California $1.5 million, USA Today reported.

"People will do almost anything to make sure friends don't see a change in lifestyle, and that 'anything' includes not paying taxes," said Bart Graham, Georgia's revenue commissioner.

While big names and big money can be involved, prosecution for tax evasion is not that common. The federal government filed 1,423 federal indictments in 2007, compared with 235 million tax returns that were filed, the IRS reports.