It’s that time of year – trees blossoming, birds chirping, baseball on TV. Oh, and of course the wonderful ritual of filing taxes. While most Americans have been scrambling to get their 2011 taxes in on time, one high-profile Olympian has found herself in a bit of tax trouble.
First reported by The Detroit News, it looks like Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn owes the IRS a sizable sum. They have filed a $1.7 million tax lien against her and her estranged husband. The back taxes are from 2010, the year that she wold the gold medal at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. It was the first of its kind for an American woman in the downhill event.
According to Bleacher Report, most of that income comes from endorsement deals from companies like Red Bull, Rolex, and Under Armor.
Vonn has used social media to issue a statement about the situation. A tweet sends her followers to a Facebook status with an official message:
I am disappointed with this situation. I just recently became aware of the outstanding balance and I have done… http://t.co/1iWcSQrk
The full message reads:
I am disappointed with this situation. I just recently became aware of the outstanding balance and I have done everything in my power to settle it immediately. The money owed was for the 2010 tax year, which was filed on time, and it has been paid in full. This is an important lesson for me. Not being in control of my finances and relying on someone else who you believed had your best interest at heart was a mistake and one I will not make twice. Lv
Although Vonn is a champion skier, her personal life has played a large role in her public presence in the last couple of years. In 2010, Vonn did the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition as well as Maxim. Last year, she began to divorce process with her husband, former Olympian Thomas Vonn. Then there was all of those Tebow rumors, which have mostly been buried.
Check her out in action (two different kinds of action):