Aretha Franklin’s Estate Needs To Sell Property To Pay Singer’s $5 Mill Tax Debt

The world lost the Queen of Soul in August 2018 and we all mourned the loss of the Motown legend whose voice impacted generations of music lovers. The Memphis icon passed away in her Detroit mansion, and while it seemed as if Aretha Frankin left this earth financially abundant with no worries as to how her estate would be handled.

Unfortunately, since then there have been reports that her estate has had issues settling debts and divvying up the cash, and now The Blast claims that the powerhouse singer has a $5.2 million outstanding tax debt. The publication claims they’ve obtained documents that say Franklin’s estate is asking the court for permission to sell off some of her lands to pay off the bill. There’s a vacant lot in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a plot that’s a little over an acre, that is being offered for $1.4 million.

The estate also wants to liquidate assets and sell off Franklin’s property to make good with the government. Documents also reveal that the estate originally owed $6.3 million to the IRS, so they’ve gotten rid of a chunk of the debt. They’re hoping that a judge will sign off of it as soon a possible. Meanwhile, back in March, it was reported that Jennifer Hudson was slated to portray Franklin in a forthcoming biopic.