Skip to content
  • Call 24/7 (602) 910-4068
Contact Us
  • 24/7

(602) 932-3187

estate planning law firm
  • Home
  • Start Here
    • Becoming a Client
    • Our Story
    • Our Approach & Values
    • Meet the Team
    • Client Testimonials
  • PROTECT MY FAMILY
    • Estate Planning
    • Wills and Trusts
    • Power of Attorney
    • Deeds & Real Estate Transfers
  • Specialized Planning
    • Minor Children
    • Special Needs Trusts
    • Asset Protection Planning
    • Irrevocable Trusts
  • Elder Care
    • Long term Care
    • Medicaid (ALTCS)
    • Guardianship
  • Probate
    • Do I Need Probate?
    • Avoiding Probate
    • Trust Administration
  • Business Planning
    • Business Formations
    • Business Succession Planning
    • Operating Agreements
    • Employment Agreements
  • Resources
    • Estate Planning Blog
      • Estate Planning
      • Elder Law
      • Probate
      • Business Succession
      • Guardianship
    • Videos & Recordings
    • Seminars & Webinars
    • Free Estate Planning Masterclass
    • Educational Library
    • Estate Planning Resources For Professional Advisors
    • FAQs
    • Media Room
  • Contact Us
    • Schedule Strategy Session
    • Office Locations
  • Home
  • Start Here
    • Becoming a Client
    • Our Story
    • Our Approach & Values
    • Meet the Team
    • Client Testimonials
  • PROTECT MY FAMILY
    • Estate Planning
    • Wills and Trusts
    • Power of Attorney
    • Deeds & Real Estate Transfers
  • Specialized Planning
    • Minor Children
    • Special Needs Trusts
    • Asset Protection Planning
    • Irrevocable Trusts
  • Elder Care
    • Long term Care
    • Medicaid (ALTCS)
    • Guardianship
  • Probate
    • Do I Need Probate?
    • Avoiding Probate
    • Trust Administration
  • Business Planning
    • Business Formations
    • Business Succession Planning
    • Operating Agreements
    • Employment Agreements
  • Resources
    • Estate Planning Blog
      • Estate Planning
      • Elder Law
      • Probate
      • Business Succession
      • Guardianship
    • Videos & Recordings
    • Seminars & Webinars
    • Free Estate Planning Masterclass
    • Educational Library
    • Estate Planning Resources For Professional Advisors
    • FAQs
    • Media Room
  • Contact Us
    • Schedule Strategy Session
    • Office Locations

Prince’s Estate Troubles Back in the Headlines

Serving Clients in the Gilbert, Arizona Area

Prince’s Estate Troubles Back in the Headlines
  • February 18, 2021
  • Asset Protection, Business Succession, Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Estate Tax, Probate
Gilbert Arizona estate planning attorney

BY: Jake Carlson

Jake Carlson is an estate planning attorney, recognized business leader, inspiring presenter, and popular podcast host. He is personable and connects immediately with others. A natural storyteller, he loves listening to your story and exploring what matters most to you.

Get To Know Jake
Please Share!
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
The IRS determined that Prince's estate is worth $163.2 million, well above the $82.3 million valuation submitted by Comerica Bank & Trust, the estate's administrator.
  • Scroll Down to Read Article

The Internal Revenue Service has said the executors of Prince’s estate made a serious mistake in their calculations, reducing its value by about $80 million, as reported in the article “IRS says Prince’s estate undervalued by 50%, triggering another dispute in settlement” from the Star Tribune.

The discrepancy comes from the value of music publishing and recording interests, according to court documents. The IRS claims Prince’s estate owes $32.4 million in federal taxes, about double the tax bill as valued by Comerica, a financial services giant. That is a pricey difference, but it is not the only bad news for heirs.

The IRS has slapped the estate with a $6.4 million accuracy related penalty, to be paid by Prince’s estate, because of the sheer size of the undervaluation.

Estimates of Prince’s estate’s net worth have varied from $100 to $300 million, since the time of his death. There was no will and no estate plan when Prince died in 2016, creating one of the largest and most complicated probate court proceedings in Minnesota’s history.

Comerica and the law firm representing the financial institution maintain that the estate valuations are accurate. This past summer, Comerica sued the U.S. Tax Court in Washington, D.C., charging the agency with having many mistakes in its calculations.

The IRS believes the fair market value of Prince’s ownership of NPG Music Publishing should be $36.9 million, and not $21 million as calculated by the estate. The estate placed the value of his ownership of NPG Records at $19.5 million, and the IRS says it is actually worth $46.5 million.

With a case dragging on for more than four years, Prince’s six sibling heirs are increasingly unhappy. Prince’s heirs range in age from 50 to 80 and one brother has already died of heart disease in 2019. They have seen the estate shrink, as tens of millions of dollars are being paid to consultants and lawyers.

In the meantime, Primary Wave, a company that invests in music copyrights, has been very interested in the estate, and two of the siblings have already agreed to sell large portions of their rights to Primary Wave. The company recently spent a reported $100 million to purchase an 80% interest in Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nick’s publishing rights, and Bob Dylan sold his song catalog to a different company for around $400 million.

Eventually, when the case does settle, the siblings will enact their own “transition plan” to the Carver County Probate court, according to recent court filings.

Reference: Star Tribune (Jan. 2, 2021)  “IRS says Prince’s estate undervalued by 50%, triggering another dispute in settlement”

PrevPreviousHow do I Settle an Estate if I’m Named Executor?
NextCan You Answer Key Retirement Questions?Next
Subscribe!

Recent Posts
  • Who Should I Choose to Be a Guardian for Minor Child?
  • What Is the Best Way to Pass on My House?
  • Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa Relied on Trusts in Estate Plans
  • Can Estate Planning Strategies Protect Cryptocurrency?
  • How to Claim Missing Property or Money
Categories
  • Advanced Directives
  • ALTCs
  • Alzheimer's Disease
  • Asset Protection
  • Business Formations
  • Business Succession
  • Charitable Planning
  • Dementia
  • Elder Law
  • Estate Administration
  • Estate Planning
  • Estate Tax
  • Guardianship
  • Life Insurance
  • Medicaid
  • Medicare
  • News
  • Power of Attorney
  • Probate
  • Retirement
  • Social Security
  • Special Needs
  • Trust Administration
  • Uncategorized
  • Wills & Trusts

Contact Us

All fields marked with an “ * ” are required

estate planning law firm
Facebook-f Twitter Linkedin-in Youtube Instagram Rss

Our Mesa Office

2500 S Power Road
Bldg 14 Suite 132
Mesa, AZ 85209


Phone Number: (602) 910-4068

Our Gilbert Office

1425 S. Higley Road #106
Gilbert, AZ 85296

Copyright © 2025 – LifePlan Legal AZ. All rights reserved. Some artwork provided under license agreement. Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Sitemap