On 9 November 1990 the Internal Revenue Service seized Willie Nelson's assets, freezing bank accounts and padlocking real estate, over a civil tax bill reported by Rolling Stone at about $16.7 million — of which roughly $10.2 million was interest and penalties. The liability arose from tax shelters his advisers had placed him in during the early 1980s which the IRS subsequently disallowed; no criminal charge was brought, and Nelson sued the accounting firm that had advised him. He responded with The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories?, a double album of solo voice-and-guitar recordings offered by mail order from June 1991 and later distributed by Sony, under an arrangement directing proceeds to the IRS. It raised about $3.6 million. The debt was settled in February 1993.
— It was a civil matter. No criminal charge was ever brought, and he sued the accountants who had put him into the arrangements in the first place.
— The bill came out of tax shelters his advisers set up in the early 1980s and the IRS later disallowed. Most of the figure wasn't tax at all — around $10.2 million was interest and penalties.
— The record was just him and a guitar, no band, partly to keep recording costs down. It sold by mail order before a label picked it up, and raised about $3.6 million.
— It was called The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories?, the debt was settled in 1993, and he is from Abbott, Texas and wrote 'Crazy' for Patsy Cline.
— Initials: W.N.
ALLEGEDLY* edition No. 95. Three strikes to name Willie Nelson, with a free clue unlocked after every miss.
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