The very first winner of “Survivor,” Richard Hatch, still hasn’t paid taxes on his prize money, according to a report, and now he owes the federal government triple the amount he won on the hit reality show.
Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island ordered Hatch earlier this month to pay roughly $3.3 million in delinquent income taxes and penalties stemming from his successful turn on “Survivor,” which is markedly more than his original winnings total of slightly more than $1 million, according to USA Today.
Hatch’s ongoing dispute with the IRS began shortly after the series’ first season wrapped in 2000, after the feds confirmed he failed to pay taxes on his “Survivor” prize, as well as on the car he won on the competition show. He also neglected to report taxes on some of his other work, including compensation for co-hosting a radio show, the IRS said.
In 2006, Hatch, a Rhode Island native, was indicted on felony tax evasion charges and fraud, but a jury found him guilty only of filing false personal income tax. He was ordered to serve 51 months in prison with three years of supervised release. In addition, he was required to file amended income tax returns for the 2000 and 2001 tax years and pay all taxes still due for those years — but he failed to do so, USA Today reported.
The government renewed its efforts to collect in 2022, placing tax liens on two Newport properties Hatch put in his sister’s name.
In a statement to Realtor.com, he said he plans appeal McConnell’s ruling.
“I am confident that the appellate court’s review of the full record, including evidence that was not adequately addressed below, will result in a just outcome,” Hatch said. “I have spent 25 years trying to do the right thing in a complicated situation, and I remain committed to resolving this matter fairly.”