United States Marshals ServiceLauryn Hill, who claims she avoided paying taxes for the good of her family, has two more weeks to make good on her outstanding bill with the IRS.
The singer's sentencing hearing on tax-evasion charges in New Jersey was postponed until May 6 to give her more time to pay off a court-ordered retribution sum of $554,000, E! News confirmed. Her attorney told the court that she has repaid $50,000 so far.
Hill pleaded guilty last June to not forking over Uncle Sam's share of approximately $1.8 million earned between 2005 and 2007.
The former Fugees frontwoman and mother of six later explained via Tumblr that she had felt it "necessary to withdraw from society in order to guarantee the safety and well-being of [her family]" and that she paid her taxes during times when she was working more consistently.
Her attorney, Nathan Hochman, told reporters at the time that his client was being unfairly targeted due to her celebrity. The judge who gave Hill more time to settle up apparently didn't agree.
"This is not someone who stands before the court penniless," U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo reportedly said in court yesterday. "This is a criminal matter. Actions speak louder than words, and there has been no effort here to pay these taxes."
Hill was present for Monday's hearing, but did not address the court.
"I fully expect that by May 3 Ms. Hill will be able to pay back all the restitution she has," Hochman said, also noting that he plans to seek probation for his client. She is facing a possible sentence of up to three years in prison.
Meanwhile, Hill took to Tumblr again yesterday to correct "yet another media inaccuracy."
"I'd like to set the record straight: I am not squatting, and I do not owe any money to my landlord," she wrote. "I have always stayed current on rent. I was raised in South Orange [N.J.], which is why these allegations are not only false, but insulting. I am in talks with the town about resolving an unrelated issue, regarding how I use my home to work on my music, which has nothing to do with my financial obligations.
"Won't it be great when real journalism returns to replace inaccurate tabloid harassment."