‘Teen Mom’ Stars Have Dealt With a Slew of Financial Woes and Tax Issues: Which Stars Owe Taxes?

MTV may be paying the stars of Teen Mom big bucks to appear on the long-running reality show, but some of the young parents have had trouble managing their finances. 

Leah Messer, the mother of three who originally appeared on season 2 of 16 & Pregnant, found herself in hot water earlier this year when she was hit with a new $290,000 federal tax lien. 

According to online records viewed by In Touch, the MTV star was handed a lien from the federal government’s West Virginia jurisdiction on May 8, 2023, for $290,297.00. The filing is the most recent of six, with the full amount owed being $779,147.46. The liens were filed in 2014, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023, according to the West Virginia County Clerk’s Office.

“I have worked with many different accountants over the years. At first, I was filing and paying more than I was making and then I was paying people that had me stall while ‘they handled the tax situation,’” Leah exclusively told In Touch on June 2. “Apparently it’s a long process. Then in 2020, the IRS was backed up like the entire world due to COVID. I initially got behind after my divorce from [Jeremy Calvert] and when I went to the rehabilitation facility.”

She continued, “I didn’t have the guidance that a girl at 16 should’ve had to responsibly handle money and make healthy financial planning choices.”

While Leah is working on her financial issues, she’s not the only Teen Mom star to find herself with money woes.