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Aretha Franklin Still Owes $3 Million in Back Taxes

Franklin's estate attorney said at least $3 million of the $6.3 million debt has been paid since her death.

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin performs during the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival Opening Gala premiere of "Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of our Lives" at Radio City Music Hall on April 19, 2017 in New York City. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

By Ariel Scotti

An attorney for the estate of the late Queen of Soul is claiming that at least $3 million in owed back taxes has been paid to the IRS since her death in August.

Aretha Franklin‘s estate is currently being audited by the IRS which filed a claim this month in a county probate court north of Detroit, NBC News reported. Legal documents obtained by TMZ also showed that the IRS is claiming Franklin owed more than $6.3 million in back taxes from 2012 to 2018 and $1.5 million in penalties.

“We have a tax attorney. All of her returns have been filed,” a representative for the estate told the Associated Press. “We have disputes with the IRS regarding what they claim was income. We claim its double-dipping income because they don’t understand how the business works.”

Franklin died of pancreatic cancer in August in her Detroit home. She was 76.

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