REX BROWN OWES THE IRS $450K

Today is April 17, which is every Americans’ favorite day, because it’s the day our taxes are due! And, as you foreigners can probably tell if you pay attention to U.S. political races, there is nothing that Americans like doing more than giving up a large chunk of their income for the greater good. We are truly a selfless people.

That being the case, Rex Brown, formerly of Pantera and Down and now of Kill Devil Hill, is probably in an especially good mood today — because he owes the Internal Revenue Service near a half a million dollars. From USA Today:

“Brown owes $449,567 to the federal government in back taxes and penalties, according to five tax liens filed by the Internal Revenue Service. The most recent and largest lien, for $210,157, was filed in his home state of Texas in January. Other liens were addressed to a Los Angeles accounting firm that handles entertainers. A sixth lien for $72,695 was released by the IRS in 2008, a sign those back taxes were paid.”

That’s obviously no small amount of dough, even for a dude who was in a big successful band like Pantera. So what happens now? Well, either Brown will work out some sort of payment plan with the IRS, or “The federal government can seize Brown’s share of Pantera’s revenue, including royalties from his shared record and songwriting credits.” In other words, your purchase of the new Pantera single could help fund a war! Hoo-ray!

Brown hasn’t released a statement regarding the news, and if I were him, I probably wouldn’t… I mean, what is there to say, really? Mostly, I just expect that he’ll start working his ass off to make some money ASAP. Nicolas Cage handled a similar, but much larger, debt to the government by making what will surely be remembered as his most memorable films yet. So no one should be surprised if Brown is touring with a Dimebag hologram real soon.

-AR

[via Lambgoat]