So a judge just sentenced Wesley Snipes to three years in prison for failing to file his income tax returns. Seriously? Martha Stewart got less time for insider trading. Nicole Richie got less time and she had drugs in her car and was clearly high when she was arrested. First time drug dealers get less time than Wesley Snipes is getting. Hell, drunk drivers don't even get this much time. Most of them get off with a warning the first time, and maybe a fine, depending on whether or not they injured someone when they were driving. Isn't having to pay back $41 million punishment enough? Considering that while he's in prison, he can't make any movies to pay back the money he owes. And shouldn't there be a cap on penalty and fines? I mean even the public library after awhile stops charging you if the book is over due like a year.
I'm not even a huge Wesley Snipes fan and I think its wrong. I sometimes wonder about judges. Like do they think they have to be harsher on a celebrity than they would be for an average joe? Or did the judge think that Blade III sucked as much as I did despite Ryan Reynolds?
I know that Wesley Snipes probably will get his sentence reduced on appeal and not even have to serve most of that time. I just still think its ridiculous that he was given a sentence like that at all. It just goes to show you that just because you are celebrity, and you hire someone to do your taxes, you need to make sure that they are done. None of this, "Well I thought they were filed." You can't just leave it and hope that they are doing there job (that was Snipes's excuse). Seriously if you are making big bucks you have to be extra diligent. Even if you are not making big bucks you should still ask your tax accountant to explain what they did before you sign your returns.
We all hate paying our taxes but its a necessary evil and don't rich people get more tax breaks than the middle class do anyway? Or single people? And he has like 4 or 5 kids, so that's several tax breaks right there.
Moral of the story? File your taxes on time.
EKM
