IRS Hits Freed Hostages with Massive Fines for Not Paying Taxes While Held in Russian Prisons

When Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich returned to the United States after being wrongfully detained in a Russian prison, he was greeted by his family and President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Also waiting for him? The Internal Revenue Service, with a big tax bill in hand.

Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Vladimir Kara-Murza were released in August after being held hostage by Russia and found themselves having to work through not just the mental and emotional trauma of their detention but also multiple financial messes caused by their inability to pay their bills while they were gone.

Reason’s Emma Camp reported that all three had suffered hits to their credit report from unpaid bills and the fines and late fees assessed by the IRS. It’s a common problem for returning hostages. Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who was held hostage in Iran for 544 days, told NPR he was slapped with a $6,000 bill for the late fees and interest on the taxes he had been unable to file until he was freed. That $6,000 ballooned to $22,000 before the State Department intervened and was able to partially suspend part of that amount. He still ended up paying the original $6,000 amount.