As reported by PennLive, Terrence Howard, a renowned actor who has been nominated for an Academy Award, is now facing a hefty financial obligation due to a federal court order. The actor has been directed by the judge to settle a tax debt amounting to nearly $1 million, which includes interest and penalties. His assertion that it was "immoral for the United States government to levy taxes on the descendants of slaves" did not deter the court's decision.
The court's ruling follows a year-long effort by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to recover $578,000 in unpaid income taxes from Howard. The actor, who is now 54 years of age, allegedly failed to pay his taxes between 2010 and 2019, as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In 2022, the Justice Department took legal action against Howard, but his response seemed to be limited to an emotional voicemail message left for the lead tax attorney on the case in November. The actor expressed his indignation over what he perceived as an unjust financial burden.
"Four hundred years of forced labor and never receiving any compensation for it," Howard stated in his message, according to a court transcript. "Now you have the audacity to try and prosecute and charge taxes to the descendants of a broken people that you are responsible for causing the breakage."
In a subsequent voicemail message, Howard stated, "In truth, the entire United States should, by default, become the property of the descendants of slaves. But since you do not have the ability [or] the courage to do it, let's try this in court. … We’re gonna bring you down," he said.
Despite the actor's outspoken opposition, he failed to formally respond to the lawsuit. Following a court hearing in Philadelphia last week, U.S. District Judge John F. Murphy approved a default judgment of $903,115 against Howard.
As reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Howard, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the film "Hustle and Flow," has had a history of tax issues. The IRS placed a $1.1 million lien on his property in 2010 due to unpaid taxes for the years 2007 and 2008. Furthermore, federal prosecutors initiated a criminal investigation into Howard and his wife, Mira Pak, in 2019 for alleged tax evasion.
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