'The Facts of Life' star stuck in tax case
"The Facts of Life" star Lisa Whelchel is mired in a messy tax dispute that even Mrs. Garrett may not be able to fix. According to the state of Pennsylvania, Whelchel owes $668,501 in delinquent taxes tied to a controversial real-estate deal.
The 47-year-old Texas native starred as snobby "Blair Warner" on the classic sitcom, which ran from 1979-88. Today, she's a stay-at-home mom, home-schooling advocate and author.
What's owed:- The state of Pennsylvania filed a $668,501 lien against Whelchel on Sept. 3, 2008, in the Dauphin County Prothonotary office.
Her side:
Whelchel was among hundreds of members of a limited partnership that owned the U.S. Steel Building, a Pittsburgh skyscraper located a slap shot away from Mellon Arena, home of the 2009 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
The partnership paid $293 million for the 64-story skyscraper in 1984 but a combination of debt, changes in the tax code and other problems led to the building's sale in 2005. Out-of-state partners, like Whelchel, were left with massive tax obligations while in-state partners were able to offset "phantom" gains thanks to the state's tax laws, Whelchelâ,"s accountant David Schnaufer said in an interview.
â,"It's not justified," he said. "All I can tell you is she got a tax deficiency assessment regarding a phantom gain,â, on the buildingâ,"s sale.
Schnaufer said the dispute likely will lead to a lawsuit soon.
