What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
By Will Smith’s own account, the IRS sought roughly $2.8 million from him—but he placed the start of his tax trouble before he got the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air role. CBS also reported that the IRS took 70 percent of his paycheck during the sitcom’s first three years. The amount is Smith’s approximate recollection, not a figure independently confirmed by an IRS record in the sources reviewed.
What did Will Smith say about the $2.8 million?
In a 2007 interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, Smith recalled that when he was 19, “The IRS came and took all my stuff.” Asked how much the agency wanted, he answered, “I think — I was– it said 2.8 or something like that.”
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The: The Complete Series (RPKG/DVD) | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: The Complete Series | $34.14 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Season 6 | $9.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Season 3 | $9.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Season 1 | $13.99 | Buy on Amazon |
That exchange is the basis for the widely repeated $2.8 million figure. Smith’s wording was uncertain and approximate; it should not be presented as an exact, officially verified tax assessment. Smith also told CBS he had not sent the IRS money.
Did the IRS take part of his paycheck during the sitcom?
Yes, according to CBS’s account of the interview: the IRS took 70 percent of Smith’s paycheck during the first three years of the show’s six-year run. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air aired from 1990 to 1996, according to NPR’s Fresh Air archive.
#1 Best Overall
This reported withholding overlapped with the show. It does not establish that the original tax trouble began while Smith was filming: his recollection places the IRS seizing his possessions when he was 19, before the sitcom opportunity.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is—and isn’t—confirmed?
What the accounts support
- Smith said he had failed to pay taxes after becoming successful in music and recalled being broke when the IRS collected.
- His account places the initial tax trouble before his Fresh Prince opportunity. CBS Philadelphia quoted him saying, “Before I was getting in trouble with Uncle Phil, I was in trouble with Uncle Sam.”
- CBS reported the 70-percent paycheck withholding for the sitcom’s first three years.
What the accounts do not establish
The sources reviewed do not include an IRS statement, tax document, court record, or other independent documentary confirmation of an exact $2.8 million balance. The careful answer is therefore that Smith recalled the IRS sought about that much, and CBS reported substantial paycheck withholding during the show—not that public records independently verify the precise debt.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Factory sealed DVD
Rank #4
- Factory sealed DVD
Rank #3
- Factory sealed DVD
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
