Country music songwriter pleads guilty to tax evasion

The country music singer-songwriter, 76, pleaded guilty to income tax evasion in federal court in Cincinnati yesterday, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Instead of paying his taxes, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says that Coe covered gambling and other debts.

The author of the music “Take This Job and Shove It” might resist three years in jail and be fined as much as $250,000.

“If the notion of any current country performer labeling himself an outlaw was ever laughable, it would never be more so when considering David Allan Coe”, the Rolling Stone wrote in a Coe profile less than a month ago.

“Coe’s arrangement to be paid primarily in cash was also in an effort to impede the ability of the IRS to collect on the taxes owed”, the news release said.

According to US Attorney Carter Stewart says Coe started demanding that he be paid in cash for his concerts, but not in $50 bills, because Coe believed they were bad luck and wouldn’t gamble with them.

Officials said that action prevented the IRS from levying his bank account to pay his income taxes.

“All taxpayers, regardless of their profession, must comply with their federal tax obligations”, said special agent Kathy Enstrom from the IRS Cincinnati Field Office. The almost a half-million dollars owed includes taxes, interest and penalties.

Apparently Coe thought he had a knack for avoiding his taxes, by insisting venues pay in full prior to the show.