Suge Knight
The IRS has been clamping down on celebrities who have not been paying their taxes. The IRS reads blogs and websites like TMZ, which often feature items bragging about expensive items celebrities purchased and how it's chump change for them. The IRS is reading said sites looking for items to move on and have successfully done so.
Suge Knight lost his mansion
When the IRS sees you posing online with your Rolex "Oyster Perpetual" watch, they run a check and see you haven't paid your taxes, they will start to "perpetually" put their foot in your butt to get their cash. Yes, the IRS is gangster like that (LOL).
Young Buck
Ironically, music industry figure, Suge Knight, publicly bragged about illegally commandeering Death Row Records' assets he stated (at the time) is worth $1 billion dollars. The interview caught the attention of the U.S. government, IRS included and they came after Knight, in a series of maneuvers that left him bankrupt.
Young Buck posing with cash in the music video "Stunt 101." The IRS was like we want our cut!
G-Unit rapper Young Buck displayed his wealth in the music video "Stunt 101"among other outlets and the IRS went oh really negro. They went after Young Buck, took his house and everything in it (reportedly down to his kid's Nintendo) over a $300,000 tax bill.
Young Buck counting cash in "Stunt 101" vid. The IRS taught him how to "stunt" alright
During the IRS raid on Young Buck's home, they discovered an illegal weapon. As a felon, Young Buck had been barred from owning a weapon. The gun found during the raid cost him 18-months in prison. He has since filed bankruptcy to wipe out debts, such as a loan from fellow G-Unit rapper 50 Cent.
Richard Hatch from "Survivor" posing with check
Going on high profile shows such as "Survivor" winning $1,000,000 then not paying your taxes, will catch the IRS' eye. That was the case with Richard from "Survivor" and they put him in prison. I'm surprised he didn't think the IRS saw the show. It was on national TV for goodness sake.
Draya Michelle, stripper turned reality star, didn't always report
her full income (those dollar bills add up as the year moves along)
Then there's Wesley Snipes. The king tax dodger. The tax dodger to end all tax dodgers. Snipes didn't pay the IRS the $15,000,000 he owed them over the course of several tax years and thought they wouldn't notice. He invoked some sovereign law nobody knew about and twisted existing statues to make his case... and the IRS won. He was sentenced to 5-years in prison and served three.
If the government asks how much money you have this should be your reaction:
Just kidding. Don't lie to the government.
Rappers and R&B stars partial to posing with huge stacks of cash and posting the photos online, yea, the IRS is watching you too. Bragging to the public can be quite costly, with a media savvy government watching and waiting for their cut.